Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis had unique 2023-24 seasons when they were named to a few of the All-NBA teams.
James was named a member of the All-NBA Third Team while Davis was named to the All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA Second Team.
For James, he was the youngest player in NBA history to be named to an All-NBA team when he made All-NBA Second Team in his second season in the league. However, he made history when he became the oldest player to ever make an All-NBA team.
Meanwhile, Davis was the only player this past season to make both an All-NBA team and an All-Defensive team. Davis also finished fourth in NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Rudy Gobert, Victor Wembanyama and Bam Adebayo.
The two stars were the constants for the Lakers, as they each played over 70 regular-season games, the most the duo has played together since their first season in Los Angeles during the 2019-20 campaign. Davis played a career-high 76 games, while James appeared in 71 games.
Health has been the primary reason the Lakers have been unable to return to the Finals since winning the title in 2020, though this past year showed that James and Davis are still arguably the best tandem in the league. Although perimeter play is still the focus in modern offenses, the league seems to be trending back toward size and physicality, and those are two areas where the Lakers shine.
This offseason will be pivotal for the franchise, as its decisions could make or break its title window. Besides needing to hire a competent head coach, Los Angeles will also need to find players who can complement James and Davis on both ends of the floor.
The team has already been linked to several stars and high-end role players who could be available via trade this summer, though it remains to be seen which direction the front office prefers.
Regardless, if the Lakers get another strong season from both James and Davis they should at least be in the playoff conversation.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis will need to sign off on Lakers’ head coach
The next head coach for Los Angeles will walk into a pressure-filled situation as the franchise is desperate to win at least one more title with James in the purple and gold. With that in mind, James and Davis will reportedly need to sign off on whomever the Lakers end up choosing.