Anthony Davis didn’t suit up for the first matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks following the blockbuster trade that sent him to Dallas. But on Thursday, he finally faced off against his former Lakers teammates and the group with whom he captured his only NBA championship. The game carried emotional weight for Davis, and those emotions seemed to surface during key moments on the court.
At one point during the game, LeBron James and Jaxson Hayes were seen playfully shoving Davis in a lighthearted manner. But rather than joining in the laughter, Davis appeared distant. Davis’ smile looked forced, and his reactions lacked the same energy. The awkwardness didn’t go unnoticed.
LeBron keeps messing with AD 🥹 pic.twitter.com/DYDOEDvrMw
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 10, 2025
A video clip of the interaction quickly made the rounds online, and social media detectives began dissecting every second of Davis’ reaction.
“AD wanted to cry,” one fan wrote.
AD wanted to cry
— Mark “Lucky” Carmichael II (@TheSportsGuru91) April 10, 2025
Another added, “AD trying to hide his emotions that he misses Bron and the Lakers.”
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AD trying to hide his emotions that he misses Bron and the Lakers 🥹
— JBond 🍌 (@jbondwagon) April 10, 2025
Some fans took a harsher stance, blaming LeBron for the trade itself.
“Lebron doing all this knowing damn well he put AD’s name on the trade list,” one user commented.
Lebron doing all this knowing damn well he put AD’s name on the trade list ..
— mikeLawMadeIT. (@johnnEdepth) April 10, 2025
Another fan even fired shots at LeBron directly, writing, “AD was not into it, he knows Lebitch traded him.”
AD was not into it, he knows Lebitch traded him
— Mr.President (@MrPresident818) April 10, 2025
The speculation continued as one user suggested, “Bron tryna play it off like he wasn’t in on it and AD not falling for it.”
Bron tryna play it off like he wasn’t in on it and AD Not falling for it
— s s (@Usofacts) April 10, 2025
LeBron James Reflects On Facing Anthony Davis
After the Lakers’ victory over the Mavericks, LeBron James opened up about the emotional experience of playing against his former teammate, Anthony Davis. James admitted that seeing Davis in a different jersey on the opposing side felt just “different.”
“Different. Different, obviously we had our own emotions built into it. It was just different, I think when he was in New Orleans. I ain’t got comfortable yet with him being on the other side,” James said.
For Davis, the night didn’t go as planned. Despite the emotional backdrop, Davis struggled with his performance on the floor. His lackluster showing contributed to the Mavericks’ 112-97 loss to the Lakers, and the defeat dropped the Mavs to a 38-42 record.
