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Anthony Davis finally got his wish this summer when he was traded from the Pelicans to join up with LeBron James and the Lakers. Davis now gets to play in a big market, next to its biggest star, with a chance to compete for championships. It’s a pretty sweet gig for him.
Of course, a lot of this has to do with James being in Los Angeles with him. He makes the Lakers a far more appealing destination. He alone can raise them a tier, but what happens after James leaves? Whether that’s retirement or to yet another new destination, James won’t be with the Lakers forever. Davis however is just entering his prime. He has a lot of basketball left in him. Will he choose to stay with the Lakers or does he have a future plan somewhere else. Maybe a homecoming in Chicago?
According to Davis you shouldn’t count that out. Via Chicago Tribune.
“I mean, (this is) definitely hometown,” he said. “If the opportunity ever presents itself and when that time comes, I’d definitely consider it.”
Davis, who grew up in Englewood and rose from relative obscurity at Perspectives Charter School to win a national title at Kentucky and become a six-time All-Star by age 26, offered a more substantive answer about why giving back to his community matters to him.
“It’s a connection,” he said. “A lot of these kids are from the same neighborhoods that I’m from. And so to have someone come back that they can relate to, I think that’s a huge impact on them.
Homecomings don’t always happen in the NBA, but it’s always really cool when they do. James himself did it when he returned to Cleveland to bring the city a championship. Dwyane Wade had a single year in Chicago which, while it didn’t result in much, was a nice little homecoming year. It’s fun for the fans and the player when they choose to do it.
However, nobody knows what Davis will want when it comes time for him to make that kind of decision. We can’t predict the future. If he won a ring with the Lakers will that be enough to make him stay, or do his desires have little do with results and more the location itself? The only way to know is to let Davis play out his time with the Lakers and then we can see what he wants to do then. While a Chicago return is a nice thought, if it does happen, it won’t be for awhile.
