Prior to Shaquille O'Neal, only Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem, Abdul-Jabbar, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar recorded more than 30 points and 20 rebounds in a Lakers playoff game.
LeBron James praised Anthony Davis as he sat next to him in San Francisco.
"The Lakers franchise over the years, over the course of their existence, has always had dominant big men, dominant guys that have been a force at the rim," James said after a dominant performance by Davis in the Lakers' victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinal series against the Golden State Warriors. "That is why their jerseys are hanging from the rafters. When he's finished playing, A.D. will be up there.
James continued in the same vein for an additional minute. Davis gave him a pat on the back once he was done.
James added with a smile, "I'll take my watch next week," making a joke about a trade-off. The phrase "or a car"
When James and Warriors guard Stephen Curry used to compete for the NBA title each June, this series brought back fond memories of those times. But Davis, who has a chance to be the series' best player, could make or break it. On Tuesday, Davis demonstrated just how important his dominance can be to the Lakers by leading them to a road victory over the defending champion Warriors that resulted in a 117-112 victory and the loss of home-court advantage.
Curry finished with 27 points, six rebounds, and three assists, while Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole, two other Golden State guards, each scored over 20 points.
In addition to his four shot blocks, Davis ended the game with 30 points and 23 rebounds. Davis joined legendary Lakers postseason players Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Shaquille O'Neal with at least 30 points and 20 rebounds. Davis's performance directly contributed to the most significant statistical disparity between the teams: the Lakers outscored the Warriors 54-28 in the paint.
Dennis Schroder of the Lakers stated, "He's everything for us." " Defensively and offensively, this organization excels. Not an all-star, not the best defensive player of the year, etc. He's the anchor; he's taking it seriously, and he's doing everything for us.
It was fitting that James and Curry served as the series' central characters. Each of them has won four championships, making them two of the best players to ever compete in the NBA. Every year from 2015 to 2018, they competed against one another in the championship game. Since then, both have added championship rings to their collections: James in 2020 and Curry in 2018.