‘A super-tight bond’: Anthony Davis trying to make playoff push with Dallas Mavericks

ORLANDO – Dallas Mavericks forward/center Anthony Davis was all smiles with his daughter and two sons by his side in the visiting locker room while his ankles were submerged in an ice bucket and his knees were wrapped in ice packs. Along with the presence of his children, the Mavericks’ 101-92 victory Thursday night against the Orlando Magic and being back in action brought him joy as well.

From 2019 to 2025 with the Los Angeles Lakers, Davis averaged 24.8 points, 11 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals in 312 games. The five-time All-NBA selection also won a 2020 NBA title with the Lakers. While the blockbuster trade to the Mavericks for Luka Doncic was life-altering for Davis, a smile has been commonplace for him since the dust settled in Dallas.

“I’m great. I don’t feel it, but a lot of people have been coming to me and telling me they haven’t seen me smile like this in a long time,” Davis told Andscape. “Family is happy. Everybody is happy. It’s the nature of the business. Obviously, the first maybe 48 hours, it was just a shock because I wasn’t expecting it. Nobody was expecting it, so they say. But I know from my side, my team and my family and everybody who works with me, I wasn’t expecting it. Even when I was getting some of the calls [about the trade], I thought guys were playing. But it ended up being true and that first initial [emotion] was more a shock just seeing the position [we were in]; we’re in fifth in the West [Conference], we were rolling…

“I know what Luka meant to the [Mavericks] organization, to the team. So, it’s like, what do I say to these guys coming in as a new leader and trying to lead these guys to do something special? And for them it’s like, ‘s—, he just went through probably the biggest trade in [expletive] sports history. What do we say to him?’ And I wasn’t playing. So, I just tried to feel everybody out and just kind of let it happen organically. And now we got a super-tight bond, man with all the guys. So, I’m happy, man. Happy I get to play.”

Davis had 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 29 restricted minutes against Orlando in just his third game for the Mavericks since being traded with guard Max Christie for Doncic on the night of Feb. 1. Davis debuted against the Houston Rockets on Feb. 8, posting 26 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks before he re-aggravated his abdominal injury in the game.

During Davis’ six-week absence with center Dereck Lively already out after foot surgery, the Mavericks were further decimated by injuries that ended the season early for Kyrie Irving (torn ACL), Dante Exum (fractured hand), and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (wrist). Daniel Gafford (knee sprain), Caleb Martin (hip strain), and PJ Washington (ankle) were also sidelined. Davis opted to play once he got healthy instead of sitting out the remainder of the season. With the Mavericks (36-38) getting healthier, they entered Friday in the 10th and final play-in tournament spot with eight games left.

The 10-time NBA All-Star talked exclusively to Andscape about why he returned to action, the details about his abdominal injury, his relationship with Lakers star LeBron James and his old teammates post-trade, Irving’s injury, the playoff push, the game against the Lakers in Dallas on April 9, and much more.

Our conversation has been lightly edited and condensed.

You could have easily opted to sit out the rest of the season but returned. Can you talk about that decision?

We were playing with six, seven, eight guys who were coming in after playing a game 40, 42 minutes drained, tired, having to play back-to-backs, having to come in and still [weight] lift and get their shots [up]. That was a motivator for me. I knew I was going [to come back] just because of the amount of games we had left. And not even that, just the position we were in, too.

We are half a game behind Phoenix. But we got a chance. [Eight] games left. We are trying to try to make a push to get into these playoffs and just take it from there.

In hindsight, do you think you pushed too hard to play with the abdominal injury when you first arrived in Dallas?

If I could do it over, I would probably take a couple more days. When the trade happened, I was on my way to come back against possibly the [Los Angeles] Clippers with the Lakers [on Feb. 4]. But when the trade happened, you got to leave and go to the next city, go through your physical. And I had to go to meet them in Philly, try to get everything situated. So, I didn’t have my treatment gear that I needed. So, that was like three days of not treating [the injury] and being on a protocol that I’ve been on. So, possibly. I don’t know. I can’t say. But I probably would’ve taken a couple more days, looking back at it.

I was in a great rhythm [at the first Mavericks game]. That’s why it’s so frustrating right now. I’m a rhythm player, and being on minutes restriction, coming out four minutes into the game, it’s hard to catch a rhythm like that. And then coming back, I’m not trying to force anything. All these guys are telling me not to try to fit in; be yourself. But the type of player I am, I try to feed off these guys who have been playing well the whole time I was out. Yeah, man, it felt good [my first Mavs game]. The crowd was electrifying, man. These guys have embraced Max and me since we got here. So, to be able to be in this organization and come right in and make an impact, it’s definitely fun.

How crushing was your abdominal injury for you?

When it first happened, I heard a pop. But I thought it just popped my hips where they were stuck; I don’t [expletive] know. It’s my first game playing. I didn’t think it was really much of anything. I actually tried to come back into the game, and I tried to go on to the practice court and run. I couldn’t run. And throughout the course of that night, I started getting a little bit stiffer. I was like, ‘Alright, could it be a strain or something like that?’ And it was just bothering me. And then I woke up the next day, and it was swollen. I couldn’t move my leg. If I’m lying down, I can’t sit up. I couldn’t lie back. I couldn’t lift my leg to move it whatsoever. That’s when I knew I wasn’t alright, something really [expletive] happened, and I needed an MRI.

I got an MRI. I was in a hotel room with my family, and then [my trainer] came in there. He had his little notebook. And I just knew right there. He’d been with me for 13 years, so I already knew what time it was once he looked at me. I knew. I just said, ‘When do I got to get surgery?’ We had a conversation, talked to the team doctor, and talked to other doctors around it. We came to a consensus to not do it because the doctors all agreed that it was a nonsurgical injury. No need to go into the knife if you don’t have to.

What have your conversations with Kyrie been like since he suffered his season-ending ACL tear?

In basketball, man, s— happens. [It’s] Kind of been going around the league, not even just the league but in sports in general, freakish injuries. I saw [Irving’s] play. Once he stepped in, he went down for a split second. The first thing I thought was, ‘Please, don’t let it be his ACL.’ And I went to go check on him, and he said it right then and there. I was like, ‘[expletive] .’ I could just tell how it was.

We went from that to Gaff [Gafford] with his knee, Ex [Exum] with his hand, and O-Max [Prosper] with his hand. Then you had be Will [Brandon Williams] with his hammy and D-Live [Lively] already had his foot, J-Hardy [Jaden Hardy] with his ankle. Like f— man, we can’t catch the break, Caleb [Martin], with everything he got going on. PJ’s [Washington’s] ankle. But credit to these guys who around the clock getting treatment and doing everything we can to get back on the floor to make this push.

But in [Irving’s] instance, during that time, I let him have time to himself, his team, and everything. And then obviously, I was in the back with him, gave him some space, and then once he did everything he needed to do, he came back to the locker room where I was at. And his whole mood was just different as far as he was like, ‘Hey listen, ain’t nothing I can do about it.’ His mindset went from ‘f—’ to let’s get ready to start this rehab process and get back. So that’s the opposite, tough injury, but I know he’s had some pretty significant injuries, the kneecap and everything, and he came back the same Kai.

So, it’s my job to hold the fort down the rest of the season and then go into next season with some of the offseason things that we’re pretty sure we’re going to do. Then, have him have his time to get back healthy, get back right, come in, and be Kyrie again.

What has been the toughest part to adjust to since the trade?

Not being able to be on the court was the toughest part. Not being able to play, then play and get hurt, and then find out you will be out six weeks. That first game, obviously, the chemistry we had and the way we were playing it, the crowd was rocking, the team was hype, and then that kind of goes away with the injury. Then it becomes another injury and another injury. So, it’s kind of draining in a sense, but we are holding it down.

But I’m happy, man. The only thing I’m not happy about is that I can’t find a damn house in Dallas. I’ve been looking since I got there and I can’t find the house. So, me and the wife trying to figure everything out, but actually Luka told me it took him two to three years to find a house. So, I’m not trying to wait two or three years. I got kids.

Have you considered what it will be like to play against the Lakers for the first time on April 9 in Dallas?

No, we got games. But it’s actually going to be more [emotional] because Luka is coming back. So, it’s going to be a tougher game. But no, I haven’t, man. Obviously, it’s on schedule, but I’m trying to get through each game at a time, returning from the injury and making sure that I get a rhythm and get back to where I was. But I’m not. When it gets there, as it gets closer to April 9, [my ex-Lakers teammates] will be hitting me, man, ‘Let us come to the house, let’s hang.’ I ain’t got no house to take them to.

Obviously, it’s going to be an emotional game, the first time playing against them [in Los Angeles] next season. But who knows what happens in the playoffs and the play-in. But I think my first game back in L.A. actually playing would be a little bit more emotional for me. I know it will be an emotional game [April 9] just because Luka is coming back, and everybody in Dallas still loves him. So, it’ll be good to see Dallas give him a tribute and everything he deserves just like L.A. gave me when I was there [injured during the Feb. 25 game].

How has your relationship been with friend and former teammate LeBron James since the trade?

Ain’t no change for me. It’s a business. People are saying that [James] knew [of the trade] because of the Marcus Morris [quote saying James knew] that comes out. [James] is saying he don’t. At this point, whether he knew or not or whoever knew, or it was quiet when [ESPN’s] Shams (Charana) dropped [the news], it doesn’t matter who knew. This s— happened.

You can’t change like, ‘Oh, [James] didn’t know, well let’s change it.’ It’s no going back. But as far as our leadership, obviously, we were on the same team, so we talked all the time. But [the Lakers] are trying to make a push, we’re trying to make a push, so we don’t talk as much. But we still check in on each other. He texts me all the time. [James’ chief of staff] Randy [Mims] hit me. Actually, they both just hit me. Vando [Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt] did. We still talk to those guys. I’ve been with [James] the longest, six-and-a-half years. We’ve been really close, but nothing has changed. Obviously, we don’t talk hang like we used to just because of the teams and stuff. But I’m sure we will get together over this summer and try to figure it out.