ESPN Analyst Believes Lakers All-Star Can Earn MVP Honors in 2024-25

Fresh off claiming an Olympic gold medal this summer, can the L.A. star earn this hardware?

Apr 27, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) and center Anthony Davis (3) celebrate after a basket during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports / Jason Parkhurst-USA TODAY Sports

Fresh off claiming his first Olympic gold medal since 2012, can All-NBA Second Team Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis earn his first-ever MVP award in 2024-25, at age 31?

While averaging 16.6 minutes a night for Team USA (he was playing behind 2023 league MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers), the 6-foot-10 big man notched averages of 8.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, a team-most 1.5 blocks, and 1.2 steals per bout. The U.S. went 6-0 in competition (and 5-0 in exhibition play) en route to claiming its fifth consecutive gold medal.

In addition to Embiid, Davis played alongside his All-NBA Third Team Los Angeles teammate LeBron James, Phoenix Suns All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, All-NBA Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, All-Star Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo, All-NBA Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, All-NBA Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Anthony Edwards, and three players from the reigning champion Boston Celtics — All-NBA power forward Jayson Tatum and All-Defensive guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday.

During a new episode of ESPN's "Hoop Collective Podcast," host Brian Windhorst came in off the top rope with a scintillatingly hot take: he asserted his belief that the nine-time All-Star has a shot at earning league MVP honors this season.

“Anthony Davis was absolutely spectacular for Team USA,” Windhorst noted. “His physical conditioning is awesome. Now, I haven’t seen him in the last three weeks, two weeks. I don’t know where he’s at right now. I don’t know if he’s going to stay healthy. He is at +10,000.”

Davis' defense, along with Adebayo's, at times rescued the U.S. from Embiid's horrific effort on that end of the floor. Davis may not have the well-rounded offense of Embiid generally, but Embiid's questionable fitness made Davis (or Adebayo) the clear better starting option for head coach Steve Kerr. Out of respect, Kerr for the most part did start Embiid, but he had a quick hook for the Sixers superstar, leading to Davis or Adebayo often notching more minutes.

Cohost Tim Bontemps is not nearly as optimistic that Davis can break through and earn MVP honors.

“Anthony Davis is not winning MVP,” Bontemps said. “Yeah, he looked great [at the Olympics]... And he has absolutely no chance to win MVP.”

To Bontemps' credit, the Lakers went just 47-35 in 2023-24, and needed a play-in tournament victory over the New Orleans Pelicans to climb into the Western Conference's No. 7 seed. Los Angeles was booted from the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets in five games. The team has made no additions to its roster outside of rookie guards Dalton Knecht and Bronny James, while several of the West's elite squads have only improved.

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