Following Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals on Wednesday, Los Angeles Lakers forward Markieff Morris had great things to say about the teammates that have led him to within three wins of his first NBA title.
Morris, of course, has the opportunity to work alongside LeBron James in his 17th NBA season and 10th NBA Finals but James isn’t the only superstar that’s helped put the Lakers in the position they’re in.
“We got LeBron but I think [Anthony Davis] is the best player in the world,” Davis told ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk after the game. “He does it on both ends and does it consistently every night.“
Davis was tremendous in Game 1, scoring 34 points while also producing nine rebounds, five assists and three blocks. He was also a team-high +23 in box plus/minus, showing just how important he is to the franchise. This was Davis’ first ever NBA Finals game and he rose to the occasion.
Those 34 points are tied for the third-most points scored in an NBA Finals debut in Lakers franchise history. The only players who scored more in their debuts were Shaquille O’Neal (43) and George Mikan (42).
Just 27 years old, Davis is one of the best players in the NBA and arguably the best big man in the league. The credit he got from his teammate in Morris tonight was extremely high praise and goes to show just how great of a player he is, especially considering James is his teammate.