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Anthony Davis Won’t Take Over Until LeBron James Is Gone: Ex-All Star Puts a Shaq and Kobe Dynamic on Lakers Duo

Published 11/06/2023, 12:52 AM EST

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The Los Angeles Lakers have one of the best duos in the entire NBA in the form of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Their combination on the court has paid dividends for the franchise but still poses a concern for them. With the hopes of Davis eventually taking over from the 38-year-old on the cards, an ex-All-Star shed light on the matter.

He believed that the 30-year-old would not take over until James left. To further back his argument, he drew parallels with the iconic Lakers duo of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

What did the former star say about LeBron James and Anthony Davis?

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Gilbert Arenas recently talked about the dynamics between the 2020 NBA champions publicly. According to him, Anthony “admires” LeBron “too much” to take charge of the roster before the 19-time All-Star departs. He justified the chain of command while explaining the pattern of the relationship between two stars in one franchise.

USA Today via Reuters

“When you have two stars on a team,” the 3-time All-Star stated before adding, “No one is handing over the keys. Just one is taking ’em,” he highlighted while discussing the authority of the 4-time champion on the squad. Following this, Arenas compared the current hierarchy with that of the late 90s and early 2000s in the organization.

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“When did Shaq hand over the keys to Kobe?” he raised the question to establish his point of view. “Never,” Gilbert declared, highlighting how Davis had accepted his role within the team long ago. This put forward an interesting dynamic as the recent activities of the franchise hinted otherwise.

The Lakers conundrum

The organization wanted the 6’10 center to develop his game under the leadership of LeBron in the past few years. To a large extent, they have achieved their goal with the 8-time All-Star being now ready to become the face of the team. James, interestingly, wanted it to happen as he discussed it before the start of the season.

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The franchise, thus, had immense faith in Davis as they even tied him down for a long period. With a lucrative contract, the Lakers showcased their faith in the abilities of Anthony openly. Still, the day of him becoming the talismanic figure for his side looks far-fetched.

His qualities are never under question, but his injury record and the presence of LeBron make the dynamic complicated. Thus, Gilbert was right to address this in his manner.

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WATCH THIS STORY: “Without Kevin Durant, LeBron (James) Got Steph in His Back Pocket”: Ex-Teammates Give Lakers Superstar an Upper Edge for 5th Ring

Will Davis need to take over for the Lakers to be successful? Or will Arenas be proved right in his comments about the forward?

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Written by:

Sourav Bose

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Sourav is a detail-oriented NBA content writer at EssentiallySports. His passion for the game of basketball was ignited by none other than the captivating duo of Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr. As he delved into the illustrious history of the NBA, his fascination grew exponentially.
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Edited by:

Sameen Nawathe