'We're the underdogs' - Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers set out to prove themselves all over again

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — With reams of championship banners hanging above him, a couple of surefire Hall of Fame teammates present in the gym with him and a team roster that will cost the Los Angeles Lakers a hair under $175 million, Anthony Davis' statement about the upcoming season sounded almost unthinkable.

«We're treating this season like we have a chip on our shoulder. We're the underdogs,» Davis told ESPN during the team's annual media day on Monday. «Obviously, the world is looking to see what we do. But… they're not talking about us, and that's fine. You know, we'd rather be under the radar.»

The Lakers? Underdogs? With this team? It's a bit of a stretch. However, Davis' declaration only served to underscore just how disastrous last season was for L.A. when, after coming in as the betting odds' favorite to win the championship, the Lakers didn't even qualify for the play-in tournament.

Davis missed 42 games with ankle and knee injuries. LeBron James sat out 26 games. Russell Westbrook struggled to fit in during his first season with the team. L.A. whiffed on several veteran free agency signings. The Lakers ranked 21st in team defense and 22nd in team 3-point shooting. Coach Frank Vogel was fired, less than two years after guiding the franchise to its first title in a decade in the NBA Bubble.

Davis vows to get the Lakers back on track by approaching this year like he did when he was first traded to L.A. in 2019-20 and felt like he had something to prove after not experiencing significant team success in New Orleans.

«Be more aggressive,» Davis told ESPN. «I started getting in my own head a lot last year. I don't think a lot of people know that… Just knowing how much better I could have been.»

He wasn't the only one