Anthony Davis says offseason work in weight room helped him avoid serious injury vs. Spurs

It’s taken only four games into the new season for Lakers fans to have old wounds reopened and heart attacks return. On Sunday, LeBron James was injured in a very similar type of play to the one that cost him a good chunk of last season. James avoided serious injury, even if he missed Tuesday’s game and is set to sit out Wednesday’s as well as a result.

In his absence on Tuesday, Anthony Davis helped carry the Lakers to victory in San Antonio, but not before his own injury scare. Late in regulation, Davis went down holding his knee in obvious pain. He, too, would not be seriously injured and would finish the game.

After the contest, Davis called the injury a “little stinger” and said the pain gradually went away after he got back on the court. More interestingly, though, Davis also spoke post-game about how he felt his offseason work helped him avoid a serious injury on Tuesday as well.

“Just constant efforts in the weight room, in the training room,” Davis said. “I did a conscious effort in the weight room this summer, so the injury could have been a lot worse if I didn’t. But just playing through it man, I mean stuff is going to happen early on... Things happen... It’s part of basketball, it’s part of the game.

“But what you do to prevent those injuries is what’s most important. Staying on top of your recovery and your strength training and your treatments and stuff, so that’s kind of what I’ve been focusing on and was able to continue to play after that injury.”

After missing the vast majority of last season due to injury, Davis clearly made it a point to strengthen his body to help prevent those types of situations again. During the preseason, James spoke about his excitement to work alongside Davis knowing all the work he had done in the shadows during the offseason.

Tuesday served as his first true test of Davis’ body holding up against injury. His body held up, even if it may mean missing Wednesday’s game as he was listed as questionable heading to the game. But after a season of frustration on the sideline, one night off certainly seems like a far less harsh price to pay.

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