LeBron James took to Instagram on Wednesday to defend his Lakers teammate Anthony Davis against criticism regarding his offseason workout plans.
Really, truly, this is the dumbest story of the offseason and we’re still in mid-June.
Davis came under fire recently because he made a comment in a YouTube video that he hadn’t shot a basketball since his final game of the season in early April. I’m not a basketball trainer, nor did I sleep at a Holiday Inn Express, so I don’t know what a normal offseason regime looks like for AD or any NBA player. I simply trusted that a man who is in the 1% of the 1% when it comes to his craft probably knows better than I.
Fortunately, the internet is full of those who are apparently much more informed on how to train a premier athlete and thusly leveled criticism at AD. Despite the preseason not being set to start for over three more months, AD’s detractors could tell that his lack of working out in April and May following an injury-riddled season has done potentially irreparable damage to his game.
If it isn’t clear, the sarcasm is being laid on thick here.
This has been a very, very, very silly storyline that only exists because it’s the Lakers. That it led to national media coverage IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NBA FINALS is insane. Equally as insane is that LeBron felt the need to defend his big man on Instagram on Wednesday, posting a highlight video with a caption in support of AD.
AD more or less addressed the story himself with an Instagram post from his shooting coach this week, though there isn’t a video of him actually shooting so I guess we should maybe still be criticizing him.
Truly, it’s hard to put into words how dumb of a storyline this is. Basketball, like any other job, should not be a 365-day career. Sure, maybe to Kobe Bryant it was something close to that, but even he took time off. Anyways, he’s the exception, not the rule.
More than anyone, AD wants to perform at a high level each season and I’m certain he’s doing what he feels is best for his body and game this summer, with advice from trainers and those around him. So stop citing Mamba Mentality and let the man live so that this very dumb talking point ceases to exist.
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