"Minutes into his Dallas Mavericks debut, Anthony Davis threw down a thunderous putback dunk and delivered an impromptu proclamation to a fan base in the early stages of the mourning process stemming from the most stunning trade in NBA history. "I'm here!" Davis shouted after strutting toward the sideline, animatedly pointing to the American Airlines Center court. "I'm here!" Then he wasn't. After dominating the first half that afternoon -- when the most prominent story was the large pregame protest by angry fans outside the arena -- Davis went down with an adductor strain midway through the third quarter."
"That injury sidelined the 10-time All-Star for six weeks and set the tone for his brief stint with the Mavs. Davis, the headliner in the return of the blockbuster deal that shipped beloved face of the franchise Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers months after he led the Mavs to the NBA Finals, ultimately wasn't on that floor very often. Davis played just 29 regular-season games for the Mavs, plus a couple of play-in appearances, due to a series of injuries."
"The Davis- Kyrie Irving duo that then-Dallas general manager Nico Harrison bet would be the foundation of a championship contender for "three to four years" played less than three quarters together, as Irving suffered a torn ACL in early March and still has no firm timetable for his return to play. Davis' time in Dallas ended with a whimper at this trade deadline. He was dealt to the Washington Wizards in what amounted to a massive salary dump a few months after fan outrage drove governor Patrick Dumont's decision to fire Harrison. Nothing Dallas' front office, led by co-interim general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi, did at the trade deadline would make the Doncic deal any less of a disaster. The financially motivated move they decided to execute was viewed purely through the prism of teenage phenom Cooper Flagg."
Anthony Davis energized his Dallas debut with a thunderous putback dunk and an on-court proclamation of presence. An adductor strain midway through the third quarter sidelined him for six weeks and shaped a brief tenure. Davis appeared in just 29 regular-season games plus a couple of play-in contests amid recurring health issues. The planned Davis–Kyrie Irving partnership lasted under a quarter of play together after Irving suffered a torn ACL in early March. Fan outrage over the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade contributed to the firing of general manager Nico Harrison, and Davis was later traded to the Washington Wizards in a salary-dump at the deadline.
Read at ESPN.com
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