Charles Barkley points out the gem amidst the blinding lights! Tonight, it was all about LeBron James and Bronny James, as the father-son duo created a historical feat in the league. However, on the other end, there’s a refreshing news awaiting for the Lakers Nations. The LA side has their own MVP player! Well, not exactly but they do have a player that can turn into one this season. That is Anthony Davis. After the superstar center’s dominant performance, Chuck triggers expectations surrounding the big man.

Following the game, sitting alongside the Inside Guys crew, Barkley picked up the mic to answer Ernie Johnson’s question. Johnson, highlighting Bronny James’s debut, asked Chuck’s take on the historic feat. After quickly saying that it was an amazing accomplishment, he continued, “This was about Anthony Davis. Tonight, man. You know, I said a while back I thought he was going to be the best player in the NBA. And he has not. He doesn’t even get mentioned anymore because he’s always injured.”

However, Barkley rested his faith in Anthony Davis and said, “But if he can stay healthy like he did last year and play like he is now, he’s going to be in the MVP conversation but the thing about it, he’s going to have to play like that all year.” No wonder, the NBA legend was impressed by the 31-year-old. AD dominated both ends of the court, dropping 36 points with 16 rebounds. On the defensive end, the superstar produced a steal and three blocks.

Davis seemed to have picked up from where he left off from the Paris Olympics stint. Moreover, the big man definitely seemed in complete control over his game, as he was seen having verbal back and forth with oppositon leader, Anthony Edwards. Anyway, like Barkley mentioned, AD will clinch the MVP title if he continues to stay healthy!

Anthony Davis and his injury-riddled Lakers journey

AD came into the Lakers fold in 2019-20 and immediately went on to win his first champioship. The superstar averaged 26.1 ppg with 9.3 rpg in 62 games in his first season. However, following that, the big man couldn’t keep up with the league, as he couldn’t play more than 56 games per year for the next season. And, ultimately, it pushed him away from best player conversations.

Moreover, the fans and critics weren’t silent either, as they trolled him for his injury-prone state. However, the superstar, frustrated with the comments, said, “This is what I’ve learned about injuries: Last year when I wasn’t playing, people were saying ‘ADs giving up on his team. It’s the playoffs. AD has to play. He’s got to play.’ And when I went out there to play, got hurt again, they said, ‘Who was his trainer? Who let him play?,” in a 2022 interview.

In the very next season, Davis produced career-high appareance of 76 games, averaging 24.7 ppg with 12.6 rpg. So, with this massive improvement in the last season, fans can expect special things from this center. Maybe even a MVP award, a first American to win it in the last six years.

Before leaving, do watch the Dual Threat Show hosted by BG12 where Bulldogs’ Asia Avinger details her experience with Kobe Bryant, her WNBA ROTY picks, and more in the video below.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/NORJGk-s4ZU?si=YQ0j95sUNlblMqCh” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen></iframe>