Anthony Davis responds to curious viral video of him on Lakers bench

Dec 18, 2020; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) against the Phoenix Suns during a preseason game at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

After failing the vibe check earlier this week, Anthony Davis is speaking out.

An unflattering video of the Los Angeles Lakers star Davis went viral from Tuesday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. As teammate LeBron James made NBA history by passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, Davis appeared to be sitting down on the bench sulking. It was a very strange scene, especially since all of the other Lakers players were on their feet celebrating the incredible moment (see the video here).

On Friday, Davis tried to set the record straight about the unusual moment. He told reporters that he was just “pissed off” about losing to the Thunder at the time and that his reaction had nothing to do with his relationship with James (per Jovan Buha of The Athletic).

That is not a bad response from Davis but still does not clear up everything. James’ historic moment occurred towards the end of the third quarter, and his record-breaking shot put the Lakers within five points of the Thunder. They were not getting blown out, and there was still plenty of time left for them to win the game. Additionally, Davis seemed to be the only one of the Lakers who was unable to put his short-term frustrations aside for a few minutes to recognize the ultra-rare historical feat of their teammate.

The Lakers did go on to lose to the Thunder 133-130 as Davis finished with a pedestrian 13 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes. But Davis’ attitude has already led to questions this season, and Tuesday’s scene did not help his cause any.