For the first time in his career, Anthony Davis’ arrival at a franchise has not resulted in celebrations in the city. That said, the Dončić-Davis trade suffered a major setback when Davis suffered a non-contact lower body injury against the Houston Rockets.
Dallas has ruled Davis doubtful to return with a lower body injury. Given his extensive injury history, the Mavs might choose to exercise caution with Davis. When the Lakers-Mavericks trade first went through, the fact that Davis is so injury-prone was one of the biggest criticisms fans levied against the move.
Davis became the first player to tally 20-10-5-3 in a half in the last 25 years. But as the Mavs’ lead evaporated to single digits, Davis was back on defense with 2:22 left in the third. Houston began running its set with a screen coming for Jalen Green. While they missed the ensuing shot, Davis was suddenly down on his knees inside the paint, holding his groin area.
Fan Reaction to Anthony Davis’ Injury
It appears that the 10-time All-Star pulled his groin, similar to the injury his former teammate LeBron James suffered in 2019 when he first joined the Los Angeles Lakers. There is no official word on the injury or how it will affect his availability. However, Davis did walk back to the locker room for further evaluation.
The team’s official report leaves details vague, describing it as a “lower body injury.”
According to NBA fans, it was only a matter of time before Davis’ injury history caught up to him as the 10-time All-Star suffered a setback on the court. With the timing of the trade, Davis’ injury was seen on a bigger stage.
Expected but not first game with Mavs 😂
— PardonMyPick (@pardonmypick) February 8, 2025
AD was on fire in the first half, but the non-contact injury is a gut punch. With Davis being injured, the Lakers are the clear winners in this blockbuster deal at the moment.
Looked like Anthony Davis was cooking in the first half. But he's known to be injury prone
— Ernest (@Mr_Rdz3) February 8, 2025
Before Davis made his Mavericks debut, a protest was planned outside American Airlines Center. Billboards criticized general manager Nico Harrison and the team’s new ownership group, and the protest is planned around the arena after a GoFundMe account raised more than $40,000. With AD’s injury, the voices from upset fans will continue to increase as time goes by, leading to frustration throughout the organization.
At the time of the injury, Davis was leading all Mavericks in points (26), rebounds (16), assists (7), and blocks (3) in what was shaping up to be one of the greatest debuts in franchise history, if not the entire NBA. But the injury has put a dark cloud over the whole proceedings and the future of the Mavericks.
