Anthony Davis made headlines last season when he decided to request a trade out of New Orleans. For the longest time, AD was seen as a good guy in the NBA but once he decided the Pelicans were no longer for him, he was turned into a bad guy. Many thought his trade request was selfish while others saw it as a great way to shift his talents to a team that actually has a shot at winning. Of course, Davis ended up on the Lakers and the rest is history.
During his recent appearance in GQ, Klutch Sports agent Rich Paul defended AD's decision and explained how people need to show more empathy towards what is going on inside of an athlete's head.
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Per Clay Skipper of GQ:
"From AD’s perspective, he just felt it was time for change. There’s nothing wrong with that. As a player, the side that people don’t see is like, okay, yeah, I can go out and score 40 every night, but I can’t make you put certain things around me because I don’t have that power. I have to bet on you to do so. And in the event that I’m good enough that, if I feel that’s not happening, and I can change something? Then I’ll change it. Or I’ll seek to change it."
For now, the AD and LeBron James experiment is working out in Los Angeles so if you're Paul or Davis, there shouldn't be any regrets on how the whole thing was handled.