LeBron James had an emotional reaction to Anthony Davis' Lakers tribute

The Los Angeles Lakers vs Dallas Mavericks was an unforgettable night for multiple reasons. For starters, it was Luka Doncic's first game against his former team since getting traded to the LA Lakers.

In addition, it was Anthony Davis' first game back at the Crypto.com Arena as well. While AD was sidelined due to his adductor injury, the Lakers ensured that the 2020 NBA champ received a well-deserved tribute in his return.

It was evidently an emotional moment for Davis, who spent more than five seasons with the franchise. Sure, AD had his troubles with injuries, the sudden departure certainly made fans miss him more.

Davis' superstar teammate of five years, LeBron James, shared his honest reaction to tribute video and he was understandably emotional.

"'[Anthony Davis] had many many dominant nights, not only in this building, but also on the road as well. Obviously, our friendship goes [beyond basketball]," James said. "One of my best friends and it was great to see him get that recognition."

"One of my best friends... It was great to see him get that recognition."

- LeBron touches on AD's moment in LA tonight 🤞 pic.twitter.com/SGWoOGnpwN
— NBA (@NBA) February 26, 2025

Davis will go down as one of the most dominant players to ever play for the Lakers. During his stint, he averaged 24.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game over 312 contests.

Of course, Davis played a pivotal role in helping the team end its 10-year championship drought in 2020. He also achieved a plethora of individual accolades.

Now, Davis has turned the page in his career, but the Mavericks are yet to see him truly dominate on the court as he has been sidelined since his team debut was cut short due to a non-contact injury.