LeBron James: Losing Anthony Davis, who’s a Defensive Player of the Year candidate every year—it was one of two things for us. When we lost him, it was either: Be the worst defensive team in the league, Or say, ‘Oh [__], we don’t have AD to cover our asses—so now we’ve got to play even harder.’ We’ve got to cover for one another. We can’t rely on a blow-by every time, then a low man, and then AD coming out of nowhere to block the shot. It has to be a team effort. We have to be on a string in order to get stops. We know the NBA is a game of offense—how the game is read, how it’s played—it favors the offense. But defense, and timely stops, matter. If you can get one or two stops—or three stops in a row in crunch time—you can crack a game open. -via YouTube / April 1, 2025
