Lakers' Anthony Davis explains strange reaction to LeBron James becoming NBA's all-time leading scorer

Jordan Greer

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Lakers' Anthony Davis explains strange reaction to LeBron James becoming NBA's all-time leading scorer image

When LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to claim the No. 1 spot on the NBA's all-time scoring list, everyone inside of Crypto.com Arena celebrated the bucket, enjoying a truly historic moment.

Well, almost everyone.

Lakers star Anthony Davis caused quite a stir on Tuesday night when videos of his reaction to the record-setting field goal hit social media.

With the rest of his Los Angeles teammates standing in anticipation, Davis walked from the tunnel back toward the bench and sat down. After James hit a fadeaway jumper and the game was stopped to recognize his achievement, Davis took his time getting back up.

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Davis addressed the criticism that he received for his reaction on Thursday, saying that he was upset about the Lakers' 133-130 loss to the Thunder. Before James' shot, Los Angeles was trailing Oklahoma City by seven points.

"I mean, we're losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game we needed, and I was pissed off that we were losing. It's that simple," Davis said after the Bucks defeated the Lakers, marking the team's third straight loss.

"It's nothing that has to do with [James]. He knows that. Everybody else is outside looking in, it's their opinion, but I was pissed off that we were losing the game."

Davis apologized to James multiple times the next day, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, but James "dismissed his concerns" because he knew that Davis was "caught up in the heat of competition." 

James also showed his appreciation for Davis during Tuesday's game. On the TNT broadcast, he was heard telling Davis, "I just want to let you know I love you, bro. That's all I want you to know."

Now that Davis and James have put that moment behind them, they must shift their focus to the road ahead.

The Lakers only have 26 games remaining on their regular season schedule, and they are sitting at No. 13 in the Western Conference standings.

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.