NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT

December 6, 2023

Anthony Davis

Los Angeles Lakers

Semifinal Practice Day

Q. Just your thoughts on the In-Season Tournament. A lot of players are saying it's going to be a home game for you guys because of the location. And talk about doing the commercial with all the guys and your thoughts on the In-Season Tournament.

ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, Laker fans travel well anyway wherever we go. We feel like wherever we go, it's a home game for us. But the tournament has been cool. Obviously, we didn't know how to be going into it, but it's going pretty well. The atmosphere around the games have been very competitive. Obviously, the color schemes on the court have been pretty dope to see.

But it's been good. Four left. I'm pretty sure it's going to be even crazier as far as the atmosphere and the competitiveness and the intensity tomorrow night.

Q. Is it a surprise for you being in Las Vegas in December?

ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, for sure. It is crazy. I mean, usually for us it's in October for preseason. But who doesn't love Vegas. It's weird, but I think it's a great location.

Q. Anthony, this is a real good matchup of bigs you've got going. Can you break that down and analyze a little bit what that matchup is going to be for you and the frontline?

ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, obviously we've got a great front line of bigs, me, C-Wood, Jaxson Hayes, can even throw Bron in the mix who plays the 4, and then on their side, you've got Valanciunas, Zion, who are two bigs that complement each other very well.

Every time we've played them since I've been here, especially just me and Bron, it's been competitive. It's been fun. I'm pretty sure that we're going to get that same intensity tomorrow night.

Q. Among the topics of discussion today has been the financial incentive to this tournament. CJ McCollum, among others, has brought it up as a factor. How does it weigh for you, the $500,000 that's on the line if you win?

ANTHONY DAVIS: Christmas is coming up, so some gifts for the kids, wife. But yeah, I think that obviously plays a part.

I think now at this stage, everyone receives something. But you always want that top prize. It plays a factor in a lot of the games so far, just even trying to get to the four, and then when you're here, I think you think of -- you come all this way, so you might as well try to go out and try to get the entire thing.

Anytime you put a group of competitive guys on the court together and then you have something to play for, especially this early in the season, you're going to get the games that we've been able to get so far. So, it's been fun. But I think just adding that incentive of the $500,000 has only boosted the competition.

Q. There's obviously a lot of traction behind the NBA and the team possibly coming here. LeBron has talked a lot about it, of course, too. What are your thoughts now that you have an event like this and maybe the possibility of a team down the line, how it would fit?

ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, it's a great location. Everyone comes here. You have a hockey team here, WNBA here, football here. We've had multiple games for the Lakers here in preseason. I think that's kind of another reason why the tournament is here. Just kind of getting a feel, seeing how it is, the turnout, things like that.

I know it has been discussed numerous times on several occasions about possibly bringing a team here, and I think if they do, it would only be beneficial for the NBA.

Q. Just looking at the film last game, Taurean, Vando, I know you're the anchor on defense, but Taurean, Vando, also Cam Reddish did a great job guarding Devin Booker. How do you feel the team is making strides in terms of defensively, even though you guys haven't been healthy, but seeing how you guys guarded Book and played together defensively, there's been moments you and Christian Wood have played together, too. How do you feel like strides are being made defensively for you guys?

ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, just getting Cam and Vando back helped us a lot, things that we were able to do defensively with our schemes and things like that.

But they did a good job last night on Book and KD. We give them a lot of one-on-one ability to guard those guys, but they're also communicating with us, whether it's the coaches or other players, about how we can help them. When you've got two elite scorers like that, and even tomorrow night with CJ and BI, it's a team defense. All five guys have to guard them and be helping those guys. You leave those guys on an island one-on-one, it's a pretty good chance they'll get the shot that they want.

We have trust and confidence in our wing defenders, and I think that they can get the job done, but it takes all five of us to guard those type of players.

Q. There was a clip that went viral on social media of you and LeBron talking to each other. People don't understand how cerebral you are, too, as well. Just talk about how those conversations are breaking down the game and how cerebral you are but you and LeBron always in constant communication with each other.

ANTHONY DAVIS: Yeah, especially on the defensive end. He comes to me a lot. The coaching staff comes to me a lot about what we want to do defensively each game.

Yeah, I think that's -- the teams that can communicate and figure things out on the fly, whether it's mid game, halftime, before the game, whatever, are the teams that usually go far in a season.

Like I said, especially defensively, when we try and figure out coverages or me and Bron have conversations, especially since he's playing a lot of the 4, it's a little different for him now.

I'm trying to tell him things I see, he tells me things he sees, and then we figure out a solution to be successful on the defensive end.