All eyes are on Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night as Luka Doncic faces his old team, the Dallas Mavericks, for the first time since he was unceremoniously traded to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of this year's deadline. It's natural for that storyline to get most of the attention, but there's another worth noting—Anthony Davis, sent to the Mavs in exchange for Doncic, will face the Lakers crowd as an opponent for the first time since 2018.
Ahead of the matchup Lakers head coach JJ Redick made sure to deliver a classy message to his former All-NBA center as he returns to Los Angeles, singing his praises while also expressing appreciation for his willingness to work with Redick.
"I’ll start by saying I miss being around him," Redick said to reporters. "He’s a fantastic human being, wonderful teammate. For a guy whose a superstar, whose been in the Olympics and won the Finals and All-NBA, probably had a decent amount of skepticism with a coach whose never coached before. A former podcaster, if you will. For him to just accept me and be open to a relationship and coaching was big-time. Speaks a lot to who he is as a person. I certainly miss him as a player but... He's just a pleasure to be around every day."
Lakers coach JJ Redick talks about Anthony Davis.
— James H. Williams | USA Today (@JHWreporter) February 26, 2025
Redick also mentioned he did not get a chance to talk with the former Laker before the game vs. the Mavericks. pic.twitter.com/GvIqADleJN
Redick and Davis's professional relationship did not last very long; Redick took over as the Lakers' head coach before this season began and Davis was gone by the February 6 deadline. Clearly, though, it left a mark on the rookie head coach.
While Davis won’t be on the court for the Mavericks on Tuesday as he continues to recover from an ijury, it will nevertheless be an emotional evening for a multitude of reasons in Los Angeles.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lakers' JJ Redick Had Classy Message for Anthony Davis Ahead of Los Angeles Return.
