On Tuesday night, the Milwaukee Bucks were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers without LeBron James for the second time this season.
With James out due to a minor injury, it was up to Anthony Davis to step up and lead his team.
That is exactly what he did, scoring 34 points, 23 rebounds, and 4 blocks in 52 exhausting minutes during the double overtime win.
Speaking on TNT, Shaquille O’Neal praised Davis and spoke about how he believes in him and always has.
“He knows how I feel about him… His mother and father came up to me and said, ‘We want you to stay on our boy,’ because, I know what he’s capable of,” O’Neal said.
“He knows how I feel about him… His mother and father came up to me and said, ‘We want you to stay on our boy,’ because, I know what he’s capable of.” 💯@SHAQ gives AD some praise after his dominant night in the Lakers comeback 🤝 pic.twitter.com/iFJzCT6rIi
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) March 27, 2024
O’Neal mentioned that Davis’ parents approached him during the In-Season Tournament and told him to “stay on” their son, making sure he is playing to the best of his ability and reaching new heights.
The iconic big man said that he has known how talented Davis is for years, ever since his days in college and then with the New Orleans Pelicans.
He admits that the Lakers star has had his fair share of ups and downs but he is a strong player, especially lately.
O’Neal isn’t the only one who believes this and Davis has been strong, healthy, and consistent throughout the 2023-24 season.
He has been routinely criticized for missing a lot of games during his career but Davis has played in 68 of them this season, averaging 24.7 points and 12.6 rebounds in just about 36 minutes per game.
Davis has only missed four games this season and has played his most since the 2017-18 season.
Tuesday night’s game was a dogfight at many times featuring Davis facing off against one of the best stars in the league, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Davis came out on top and now O’Neal and others are praising the incredible season he’s had.
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