Anthony Davis Responds To Lakers Rumors, Reiterates Focus On 'Winning'

New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis was coy about his future in the NBA but his goal of winning still remains intact.

At just 25 years of age, Davis is already one of the best players in the league. Coming off the back of his most successful season last year, the forward was a finalist for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year while also leading the Pelicans to the Western Conference semifinals.

He could very well go on to become the unanimous best player in the league like LeBron James is right now, but for Davis, he already sees himself as the top dog in the NBA.

"Honestly, I see myself as the best player in the league, most dominant player in the league," he told Rachel Nichols in a recent ESPN interview. "I just think it's time for that step, you only get a short window, I don't want that window to close so I think my time is now."

Does that mean Davis thinks he's better than James or Kevin Durant?

"Those two are great players, I bring something unique to the table," Davis said. "My game is different from both of those guys, both ends of the floor. MVP and Defensive Player of the Year candidate so that's why I feel like my name should be at the top of the list."

Unlike some of the best players in the league though, Davis does not have an NBA Finals appearance, let alone a championship ring. The Pelicans aren't expected to go far this year either.

Winning is certainly important for Davis but he refused to state whether he may have to leave the Pelicans to do just that.

"I think that's a big part. Winning definitely helps everything, helps with your legacy, helps [you] be on the top of the list," Davis explained. "But [for me] going to the playoffs every three years doesn't help my case. At this point, it's just about winning for me, being the most dominant player in the league, and whenever that time comes, I have a great team behind me that advise me on some decisions but my focus is on this year."

Should he leave though, the Lakers are expected to be interested. Rumors about a move to Los Angeles really kicked into gear when Davis parted ways his longtime agent last month to join Klutch Sports, who notably represent James.

In addition, recent reports claim Davis is eyeing the Lakers as well as other teams such as the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks. The Chicago native joked he had no idea how the rumors started but isn't paying attention to them for now.

"You hear it everywhere, it's funny, how did that [Lakers rumors] even happen? How does that correlate?" Davis asked with a laugh. "You know, in my head, I don't pay attention to it, I keep going back to it but it's the truth, I look at what I have now and what I can do now and that's helping my team win."

"You can't listen to what somebody else is saying, all the white noise, 'AD's going here, AD's going here,' — AD's playing for the Pelicans this year... the rest will take care of itself," he said.

Davis still has another two years at the Pelicans with $52 million left on his deal as well as a $29 million player option for the 2020/21 NBA season.