Anthony Davis Sr. doesn’t want his son to play for Celtics: ‘No loyalty’
Do not count Anthony Davis Sr., the father of New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis, among those that want to see Davis land in Boston and don some Celtic green.
“I would never want my son to play for Boston after what they done to Isaiah Thomas,” Anthony Davis Sr. told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne on Friday. “No loyalty. Guy gives his heart and soul and they traded him.”
Davis Sr. is referencing to Danny Ainge’s decision to not only not pay, but trade Thomas out of Boston after the beloved 5-foot-9 point guard played through a severe hip injury and death of his sister in the 2017 playoffs.
The trade out of Boston saw Thomas leave as obviously damaged goods (the Celtics sent an additional draft pick to the Cavaliers after some flunky medicals), and he was not the same in his disastrous stint with the Cavaliers. Thomas was later traded out of Cleveland and to the Lakers, where he was active for just 17 games before he was shut down for the year.
The season left Thomas with few suitors as a free agent, having to wait until late summer and settling for the veteran minimum with the Denver Nuggets, while recovering from offseason hip surgery.
Davis Sr. made it a point to mention that that is simply his own opinion, though, and not necessarily that of his son.
“This is just my opinion, not Anthony’s,” Davis Sr. noted. “I’ve just seen things over the years with Boston, and there’s no loyalty.”
But it’s a sentiment that is believed to be shared by some star players in the NBA, according to ESPN’s Michael Eaves.
Inside tip: Anthony Davis, Sr. is merely saying publicly what many players around the league feel personally & have discussed privately. The common sentiment is: if #Celtics did that to a guy who played through injuries & death of his sister, they would do it to anybody.
— Michael Eaves (@michaeleaves) February 2, 2019
This quotes completes what’s been a considerable downer of a day from the Davis-to-Boston standpoint, as Shams Charania reported earlier in the day that the 25-year-old megastar does not view Boston as a preferred destination.
Nevertheless, the Celtics are still considered beyond prepared to make a pitch for Davis.