Although Kenneth Faried and Tournament MVP Kyrie Irving made the FIBA World Cup All-Tournament team, Anthony Davis didn’t make the squad — a robbery, if there ever was one. Still, with a NCAA Championship an Olympic gold (2012 in London) and now a world championship, The Brow is on the precipice of making history.
No player — Not Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, or Bill Russell (granted Russell probably would have if he’d played in the world championships) — has ever won a NCAA title, olympic gold, world championship and NBA title. If the Rubber Band Man ever wins that ever-elusive Larry O’Brien trophy, he’ll be the first…in history.
Of course Anthony Davis has won NCAA title plus Olympic and FIBA World Cup golds. All he needs is NBA ring. NO player has won all four.
— NetsDaily.com (@NetsDaily) September 14, 2014
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After averaging 20.8 points and 10.0 rebounds in 35.2 minutes per game during the 2013-14 NBA season, many expect Davis to continue his ascent up the NBA ladder. His 26.5 player efficiency rating (PER)} trailed only LeBron JAmes, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love last season, while surrounded by a banged up Pellies team missing Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson for the majority of the season and integrating Tyreke Evans into the offense without a true big to complement Ant in the frontcourt.
The lack of a true center didn’t stop Davis from averaging a league-best 2.8 blocks per game.
This season, he’ll have a more experienced ‘Reke, Anderson back to pull defenders beyond the three-point line, a healthy Jrue to run the high screen and roll, and recently acquired Omer Asik to help protect the rim while also matching up against bruising centers to save Ant for the other end.
We’re not saying New Orleans is a title contender, but Anthony Davis and Pelicans coach Monty Williams — one of the two pro assistants along with Tom Thibodeau to help coach K in Spain — are a lot better than last season’s 34-48 squad showed. iIf they stay healthy, that group can contend for a playoff berth in an unforgiving Western Conference and might do even more than that. The future is bright for Davis, even under the awnings of that glorious unibrow.
What are the chances Anthony Davis makes history by winning an NBA title?
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