“The big boy has to show up!” Stephen A. Smith RIPS Anthony Davis’ ‘superstar’ credibility after getting shadowed by Nikola Jokic again

Nikola Jokic dominated against the Los Angeles Lakers on the night LeBron James made history by surpassing 40000 points.

“The big boy has to show up!” Stephen A. Smith RIPS Anthony Davis’ ‘superstar’ credibility after getting shadowed by Nikola Jokic again

Stephen A. Smith wants Anthony Davis to step up after getting shadowed by Nikola Jokic (Image via Sport World News/X)

The Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Denver Nuggets game today was all about LeBron James creating history. The loss at the hands of the defending champions marred the night to some extent. While James played to his usual standards, his superstar teammate Anthony Davis did not provide his best. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith launched a tirade against Davis after getting shadowed by Nikola Jokic.

The Lakers went up against their last year’s Western Conference finals opponents at the Crypto.com arena. While the spotlight was on James as he surpassed the 40000 points mark, the loss hit them hard. Stephen A. Smith had this to say about Anthony Davis for not contributing enough to win;

YouTube video
You can't have Nikola Jokic dropping 35 and Anthony Davis answering with 17. If you've got championship aspirations, the big boy, who is an All-Star and a superstar talent in this game, has to show up and give me a little bit extra. I didn't see that tonight, and I don't like it.

Smith added that even though it was expected that Jokic could not be shut down. Had Davis matched his numbers, the outcome could have been different.

FS Video

Stephen A. Smith mentioned that LeBron James did his part by dropping 26 points, and the rest of the starters provided double-digit numbers. Had Davis at least come close to the numbers of Jokic, the tide would have turned. Davis finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Smith also mentioned that D’Angelo Russell played a very good first half but scored only 4 points in the second half. Smith also questioned the Lakers’ big-game mentality, as they have lost all the momentous games this season.

What Stephen A. Smith wants the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to do

Anthony Davis has to play at his best against the best big men in the game. Stephen A. Smith believes that is the reason he was brought into the Lakers. Nikola Jokic is the defending champion and Finals MVP. He is the standard for big men in the NBA. If Davis cannot stop Jokic, he at least has to match the Serbian big man in points.

It is baffling for Smith, as Jokic is not a good defender. Davis should have used the opportunity to at least come close to his numbers. Unless Davis can outplay or at least go toe to toe with Jokic, the Lakers cannot expect to try for a championship. The Nuggets and Jokic have swept the Lakers in the three games this season.

If the Los Angeles Lakers want to turn the tide against the Nuggets, Anthony Davis is the man who has to deliver. Otherwise, as per Stephen A. Smith, they can forget their championship hopes.

In case you missed: