Lakers: Davon Ham issues warning to rest of NBA about LeBron James and Anthony Davis

The Los Angeles Lakers’ 2023-24 regular season is about to begin. The storied franchise will face Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the Denver Nuggets on the road on Oct. 24, less than three weeks away.

Lakers head coach Davin Hamm recently warned that stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis are “as hungry as ever” this season.

“Just his hunger, both him and LeBron,” Ham said when asked if he noticed anything different about Davis during training camp. “Our two captains are the hungriest. They understand the moment. They’re not worried about what happened last year or what it’s going to be like next year. They’re built into today and that’s the way you have to do it, especially in this industry . It was a marathon. But they were as hungry as ever. They were intense. We certainly had our own fun, but there wasn’t a lot of fooling around or hanging out with the group. They took the work seriously for everyone that needed to be put in It set a good tone.”

After playing one season of college basketball at the University of Kentucky, Davis was selected with the first overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft by the then-New Orleans Hornets. In the 2011-12 season, he played 40 games with the Wildcats, averaging 14.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

The 6-foot-10 big man played for two teams — now the New Orleans Pelicans and Lakers — in 11 seasons in the NBA. Davis averaged 25.9 points, 12.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for the legendary Lakers during the 2022-23 regular season. His shooting percentage is also impressive, as he shoots a career-high 56.3% from the field.

Davis’ most memorable series in the 2023 playoffs came against Jokic and the Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. In this series, he averaged 26.8 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, while shooting an impressive 87.5% from the free throw line. Despite Davis’ stellar two-way play throughout the Western Conference Finals, the Nuggets swept the Lakers in four games.

James, meanwhile, was the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft and played for three teams — the Lakers, Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers — over 20 seasons in the NBA.

James is 38 years old, but he showed no signs of slowing down a season ago. In the 2022-23 regular season, he averaged 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game for the Lakers.

It is hoped that both James and Davis can continue their excellent performance in the 2022-23 regular season and play at a higher level in the 2023-24 season. If the Lakers want to beat the defending champions on their home court later this month, they may need big performances from both players.