LeBron James x Anthony Davis React To Lakers GM1 vs Warriors | May 2, 2023

AD, everyone knew coming into this series, when you look at the Warriors' lineup, that you could be a featured part of the Lakers' attack. What do you think allowed you to be so effective tonight? The guys gave me the ball, and the guys just getting the ball took me in the right spots. A lot of it came off pick and roll. A couple post-ups, some offensive rebounds, but just being aggressive when I do catch, looking to score or looking to playmate to other guys. But it was the guards finding me early, which allowed them to play free later on in the game. LeBron, this team has been through challenges throughout the course of the season, continuity, ups and downs, all sorts of different stuff. What did you think of the mental resolve to withstand a 14-0 run in this building late and to close those guys out with poise? That's been us since we made the acquisitions to our new guys. We've been able to be very resilient in games. Like I said, we've been playing playoff basketball for about two and a half months. And I was just trying to punch our clock in to be able to play right now in the postseason. We've been very resilient tonight versus a team like Golden State, the defending champions. And we know how great they are on their home floor over the years. So to withstand that, it's another good step for our ballclub. Anthony, just thinking about game two and adjustments that Golden State might make. They had Looney on you for most of the game. Draymond took over late. What are the ways that you think that changes once they go maybe a little smaller or Draymond plays them or five? And what do you expect from them in their building in game two? Well, it's going to be a different game. Obviously, they're going to make adjustments. We're going to make adjustments. The building will be probably a little bit louder. Obviously, we don't want to go down 0-2. So the crowd's going to be more into it. But we're going to continue to be aggressive. I know our guys are going to continue to be aggressive. Obviously, we know that Draymond likes to help. So we'll probably, if they do decide to put him on me, figure out ways I can be effective with him doing his thing defensively. But who knows? I mean, we'll see what happens game two, if they make that adjustment. If they don't, we're still trying to find ways to attack. What would you guys make of the defensive game plan tonight and just your ability to wall off the pain? And obviously, they take 53-3s. But it felt like you guys were controlling them defensively. We got to do a better job. I think even though late, they made a run. And I think throughout the second half, just only giving up 48 points, that's really good. But we had a couple of losses. But we allowed those guys, Steph, Clay, and Jordan to get some looks that if we're really tuned in, it won't happen. Because they're going to get their looks anyways. So we can't have our own personal problem mistakes. So we've got to be better. We've got to be better. We love the game plan. But we've got to be better as the guys on the floor. Yeah, AD, as much as you've dominated in the postseason, do you feel like you're proving people wrong? Or does that matter to you? It doesn't matter to me. I don't care what no one thinks. The guys in the locker room, the coaching staff, it's only the opinions that I care about. Other than that, I just go out and play basketball, try to do what I can do to help the team win. Opinions outside the locker room, what guys say, guys think, is irrelevant to me. Coach Hamm said that both of you guys have kind of been a rock for him and kept him afloat mentally in a lot of ways. What kind of advice have you had for Coach? And what do you think about how he's grown this rookie season for him as a head coach? For us, we've been a part of this franchise, the longest that's on this franchise right now. And we've had our battles together. So for us to be able to have that relationship with the coach staff and have that relationship with Coach Hamm, and him to be able to trust us on the floor that we can be an extension of him, to relay his commands, relay his messages, I just think it just makes it a lot calming for him that he knows that he has guys on the floor that has been in a fight, has been in a foxhole, and has had experience in tough games. So every game and every day is another learning experience for our coaching staff and for us. And we just try to make it as seamless as possible when we step on the floor with the game plan that they're giving us. LeBron, I'm sure you guys knew they were probably going to make some shots and make a run towards the end. When you guys were not able to score and they did catch you, was that a lack of execution on your part? Or did you guys just simply miss some shots? No, never a lack of execution with us. At the end of the day, I mean, we only had eight turnovers. So that let us know it was not sloppy with the ball. We were executing at a high level. We just missed some shots. I can think about four or five shots. AR had a shot from the left wing, missed it. I had a fadeaway jumper in the paint, missed it. I was able to hit AD on a cut on one of his patent jump hooks. He missed it, got the offensive rebound, missed it again. And then they lost it around their sideline, gave us another extra possession. D'Lo had a wide open three opposite of their bench. Sometimes it's a make or miss league. We executed to perfection. We just didn't make it. LeBron, I know both you guys aren't too statistically inclined at this time of the year. It's just about getting the W. But you had the 20-20 last round, AD is 30-20 tonight. And he joins Shaq, Elgin, Kareem, and Wilt, and franchise players who have done that, wearing the purple and gold. How does that encapsulate him joining a list like that, what he's doing for your guys' team right now? I mean, the Lakers franchise over the years, over the course of their existence, has always had dominant big men and dominant guys that have been a force at the rim. And that's why their jerseys are in the rafters. And AD will be up there when he's done playing. And the number three will be up in the rafters. And he continues to show why he's one of the best players that we have in this league. And for us, it's just a treat for us to be able to have such a dynamic player that can not only go out and get you 30 and 20, but also command the paint defensively, can switch out the guards, and also give you five assists as well. That'll improve it as well. So that's a treat for us. It's a treat for the Laker nation and a treat for the franchise to be able to have another one in their franchise that wears the purple and gold. That's in the present right now. Hey, LeBron. Oh, yeah. I'll take my watch next week. Or a car. You have had a lot of great historical games against Warriors in the old Oracle Stadium. How do you feel to win your first post-playoff game in the new Chase Center as a Laker? It's always great to win in the postseason, no matter where you are, who you're playing, because it's very difficult to win in the postseason. So like you said, I've got a lot of history in Oracle and a lot of battles in that arena over the years. So it's definitely a different feeling walking here into a postseason game being in the Chase Arena now, like you said. But that Warriors and that GS and those colors hasn't changed. And so my focus and my respect for them hasn't changed as well. And it's just an honor to be able to play this game at a high level, play with other great players, and then also look on the other side and see other great players and be a part of something that's historic, something that will last a lot longer than where we are today. So it's pretty cool. Thank you.