SLAM Magazine featuring Anthony Davis out today

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As our esteemed photographer Trevor Paulhus worked his magic, I observed Anthony. The thing that stood out to me was how humble he was. Here’s a kid who basically wore a Superman cape throughout the NCAA Tournament and actually saved Lois Lane and was a lock to go No. 1 in the 2012 NBA Draft and to look at him, you’d think he was just another kid on a college campus getting ready for the holiday weekend. And, there was no entourage. Just his buddy Will, who made sure Ant stayed on time for his flight to Oakland that afternoon.

Going into it, I knew all about Davis’ game-changing defense, fleet-footed athleticism and unshakeable poise, but that day, I saw something I hadn’t seen in a kid of his stature in a long time: appreciation. This kid really appreciates where he is in life. He appreciates the fact that he is on the cusp of his lifelong dream to be in the NBA. And after speaking to him and knowing what drives him, I understood why he never lost his cool when other teams tried to rattle him with hard fouls and other cheap tactics. I understood why, in the championship game, when he couldn’t buy a bucket, he locked in on defense, Windex’d the boards and secured Coach Cal’s first-ever National Championship. I understood this kid and I liked him. So much so, that when he dons a New Orleans Hornets uni next year, I’ll be cheering for him like a real Hornets fan with a beignet in one hand and a po’ boy in the other.

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