Anthony Davis called out the Lakers over an unwanted role change that forced him to play full-time center and add significant weight, while sending a warning to the rest of the NBA as he prepares to return to power forward with the Wizards.
Anthony Davis is entering his first full season as a member of the Washington Wizards, and he seems ready to come back in full swing and remind everyone what type of player he is.
The Wizards are looking like a potential dark horse playoff contender in the Eastern Conference this season, and with Anthony Davis leading the way, they might be in for a very fun year.
“People forgot, and I take that personally… I’m on some sh*t this year,” Davis said on the Numbers on the Board Podcast.
Davis is also excited to play more in his original position at power forward this season with players such as Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton at center, saying it’s a whole different dynamic when he plays alongside another big man.
“Now that I’m able to, like you guys will see, like when you put me against another, alongside another big, man, it’s like it’s a different, you know, ball game for me,” Davis said. “It’s a different dynamic. I’m excited.”
Davis calls out the Lakers
AD also looked back at his Los Angeles Lakers days and reminisced about being forced to play center while also being asked to put on significant weight to go against centers like Nikola Jokic or Joel Embiid.
He believes it affected his play significantly and he wasn’t able to show his best qualities while carrying extra weight and playing a full-time center role.
“I had always played like 250, 255. And that year, I had gotten to like 265. And it was like, I didn’t like it. It was actually probably like 268. I didn’t like it. I’m like, bro, I can’t play like this. I feel heavy,” Davis said.
“And then that’s when I went and was like, hey, man, I want another big and all this stuff. And, you know, it just didn’t happen, whatever,” Davis said.
Despite his six-year run with the Lakers resulting in just one championship in his first season with the team, throughout the years he was still one of the best big men in the league while playing the center role.
In his career with the Lakers, he averaged 24.8 points, 11 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per contest.
Over the last couple of seasons, AD hasn’t been able to see the floor much due to injuries. After being traded to the Mavericks in 2025, he has appeared in only 29 games and has yet to make his Wizards debut after being traded to Washington at the last trade deadline.
Last season, he averaged 20.4 points and 11.1 rebounds in 20 games for Dallas.
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