Anthony Davis announcing that we wanted a trade from the New Orleans Pelicans shook up the NBA. Just a few months ago, Davis was spotted rubbing shoulders with LeBron James. Rumors began to circulate that he would be heading to Los Angeles to squad up with James on the Lakers. The rumors died down though, and Davis reaffirmed that he was only focused on bringing a championship to New Orleans. That's why his apparent 180-degree turn caught the Pelicans off guard.
According to ESPN, "Davis was absent through almost the entirety of the team's pregame hype video prior to tipoff, and he was removed from an image of the entire Pelicans roster with the motto 'Do It Big' at the conclusion of the video." The fact the Pelicans took time to re-edit the pre-game video that introduces the players speaks volumes. Management is obviously not happy with Davis' decision to leave the city, and are making it known. "I've never even seen that video," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry stated after the game. "I really haven't. I'm not avoiding anything, but -- I couldn't tell you who's on that and who's not." A league source told ESPN that Davis' removal from the video "was an intentional decision the Pelicans made in an effort to prevent negativity around Davis." Do you believe them?