October 3, 2026 · By The Sports Nus Staff · 4 min read
Anthony Davis has not played a real basketball game in a long time. He knows what people are saying. And he is done being quiet about it.
"A lot. Multiple reasons, but the main reason is: I feel like people forgot, and I take that personally. I know what I can do, what I bring to the table. I think this is a great opportunity for me, having Trae Young, an All-Star point guard. Someone like him would elevate my game with what he's able to do. Defensively, all the guys that we got here, we can do something special. But for me, personally, I'm on some sh*t this year."
via Numbers on the Board podcast
That is a 10-time All-Star with a championship ring telling you he has a chip on his shoulder. At 33, coming off two years of injuries and trades, Davis is framing this season in Washington as a full-blown comeback tour.
The comeback, in context
- 29 games since leaving Los Angeles. Davis was traded from the Lakers in 2025 as part of the Luka Doncic deal and has barely been on the floor since.
- Zero appearances for Washington. Acquired at the February deadline out of Dallas, he never took the court for the Wizards, finishing rehab in Dallas before rejoining the team in D.C. after the All-Star break.
- The resume is elite. Seven seasons in New Orleans (23.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 2.4 blocks per game on 51.7 percent shooting), then the Lakers (24.8 points, 11.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals, 2.2 blocks) and the 2020 title alongside LeBron James.
- The new running mate. In Washington he pairs with All-Star point guard Trae Young and young big Alex Sarr, whom Davis praised as skilled on both ends of the floor.
See how it played on our Instagram:
Why this season is different
The last two years have been a blur of trade machines and rehab rooms. Lakers to the Doncic deal. Dallas to Washington at the deadline. A full rehab in Dallas while his new team finished 17-65 without him. Davis has been a rumor longer than he has been a basketball player lately.
That is what makes the quote land. This is not a star doing media-day clichés. This is a guy who watched the league move on without him and decided he is not done. A healthy Davis next to an All-Star point guard who can run pick-and-roll in his sleep is a real basketball fit, not just a vibes fit.
The fit in Washington
On paper, it works. Young is one of the best pick-and-roll creators alive, and Davis at his peak was the most devastating roll man in the league. Defensively, Davis anchoring lineups with Sarr's length gives Washington something it has not had in years: a real frontcourt identity.
The question was never talent. It is whether the body holds up and whether a 33-year-old Davis can still be the best player on a team trying to climb out of a 17-win season. The Wizards are betting that the answer is yes. Davis clearly thinks so too.
The betting angle
The only wager that matters with Davis is health. Comeback narratives move markets, but games played is the stat. If Washington's win total assumes a full Davis season, be skeptical until he strings together healthy weeks.
Do not bet the story in October. Bet the evidence in December. If Davis is playing back-to-backs and the defense is top 15 by Christmas, then the Wizards become interesting. Until then, the comeback is a quote, not a position.