“I’m gonna give the city, give them life back,” said Anthony Davis, during his introductory press conference as a Maverick. A week ago, the NBA world was turned on its heels after one of the most shocking NBA trades sent the Center to Texas. Luka Doncic moved the other way. Having recuperated, it was time to see what these trades would mean for either side. AD received his chance earlier today, as his new team went up against the Rockets. Unfortunately, the urge to do well brought some unwanted consequences for the seasoned veteran.

During the 3 quarter, Anthony Davis had to leave after sustaining a lower-body injury. The player went down without contact, grabbing his groin. After exiting, he was listed as doubtful and didn’t return for the duration of the game.

AD shed more light on the injury after the game, revealing that the affected place was the “Groin—quad kind of area. It’s like right in there.” He further added, “My leg got tight, like a little spasm. I came back to try to get it loose while still dealing with the abdominal strain.” At the same time, Davis calmed some nerves by stating, “But I managed to loosen it up, and it’s nothing serious. I’m fine.”

Despite the injury, the former LA Center left quite a mark during the recent game. In 31 minutes of gameplay, he scored 26 points, a whopping 16 rebounds, and 7 assists. He was efficient on the shooting front, making 10-18 field goals, 2-2 three-pointers, and 4-6 FTs.

It was palpable that fans were in for an entertaining game after AD got off to a hot start by recording 6 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block in the first 4 minutes.

The adrenaline rush caused Anthony Davis to let out an “I’m here” toward the crowd at the American Airlines Center. One could even compare it to Russell Crowe’s iconic “Are you not entertained?” moment!

Granted, the night was spoiled by the injury. Despite this, AD’s contribution gave the team a boost, allowing them to win the matchup with a 116-105 score.

“That felt great,” said Davis when discussing his ‘I’m here’ moment. “Just playing with a lot of emotion. I know this city has a lot of emotion right now. I’m just trying to do my job and change that emotion for good… Just a little friendly reminder of who Anthony Davis is.”

Having watched Anthony Davis over the years, the injury should not have come as too big of a surprise. After all, the player does carry the reputation of being ‘injury-prone’. In just this ongoing season, he sustained issues with his hip, ankle, plantar, foot, elbow, shoulder, calf, and abdomen. This would cause many to question: Why did Mavs GM Nico Harrison cut ties with their best star for AD, even after knowing his injury history? While many would demand for this query to be answered, the team HC is not among them.

Jason Kidd revealed accepting Anthony Davis’ acquisition without hesitance: “I’m not the decision maker”

Once Shams Charania broke the trade news on X, it was pandemonium.

Tyrese Haliburton and Bam Adebayo were questioning whether the ESPN analyst’s phone was hacked, while Joel Embiid, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, and others refused to believe that something of this magnitude happened.

Even the key players of the trade were taken aback, as Charania also revealed: “LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m sure Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade.” Everyone was voicing their opinion, except for Jason Kidd.

Fortunately, he did speak up finally. And when he did, he made it clear that he had nothing negative to say.

“I’m an employee of the Mavs… I coach the players that are here. We’ve made a trade and we’ve got to push forward, and that’s what we’re doing. Trades happen in this game. Things change. Coaches change. Teams get sold. A lot of things happen that are out of your control, but you’ve got to continue to do your job, and that’s what I’m doing,” said Kidd.

“I’m the coach. I’m not the decision-maker. I’m here to coach the team that’s given to me, and then I’m judged on that by you guys,” Kidd concluded.

Jason Kidd revealed receiving the trade update at “the 11th hour”, being called up to the GM’s hotel room shortly before the move was announced. The head coach may have felt that placing hope on an ‘injury-prone’ player like Davis was too big of a leap of faith. Especially since acquiring him would cost the team Luka Doncic! But it’s highly likely that he may have felt that raising objections was not his place, much like Kyrie Irving’s ‘paygrade’ comment. Now, his focus is not on dwelling in the past, but looking to the future.

If the recent game was any indication, then Anthony Davis has a bright future ahead of him with the Dallas Mavericks. That is, if he continues being available and does not sustain too many injuries or relapses.