Anthony Davis' LeBron James fandom could have changed his college future: "Drew me to want to go to Ohio State"

Anthony Davis and LeBron James have been LA Lakers teammates for five seasons. Apparently, playing alongside LeBron is a dream come true for Davis as he recently revealed on "The Backyard Podcast" that he was an LBJ fan growing up. AD talked about how being a fan of the "King" nearly pushed him to play for a different college team.

Davis led the Kentucky Wildcats to an NCAA championship as the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player and the National Player of the Year in his only college season. But his success at UK nearly didn't happen as Davis pondered the idea of playing for Ohio State instead.

Considering how LeBron James is an Ohio native, AD, who is from Chicago, thought that it would be a good idea to follow in the footsteps of his idol.

James never went to college, however. He was drafted No. 1 in 2003 by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Davis was the No. 1 pick in 2012 by the New Orleans Pelicans.

"I was a huge LeBron James fan," Davis said. "Growing up I had all of his shoes, I was (jersey No.) 23, all that. Bron is everything. It drew me to want to go to Ohio State."

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Looking back at Anthony Davis' time playing in the NCAA

Anthony Davis at Kentucky

Anthony Davis established himself as a college basketball legend during his brief yet remarkable stint at the University of Kentucky.

Despite not initially being a highly recruited player, his transformation began during his sophomore year, when he experienced a significant growth spurt of seven inches while retaining his point guard skills. That turned him into a highly sought-after prospect, eventually becoming the top recruit in the 2011 class.

Although Davis considered other prestigious programs like North Carolina, Ohio State and Syracuse, Kentucky was his primary choice.

During his sole season with the Kentucky Wildcats, Davis made a profound impact, averaging 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game with an impressive 62.3% shooting while also leading the nation in blocks (186, 4.65 per game).

He led Kentucky to a 38-2 record, including an undefeated run in Southeastern Conference play, securing them the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Davis's exceptional season earned him numerous accolades, including the Rupp Trophy, Wooden Award, NCAA Tournament MVP, Naismith Award and National Player of the Year honors. He was also recognized with various All-SEC distinctions, in addition to being named SEC Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.

In the NCAA tournament, Davis played a pivotal role in leading Kentucky to the national championship. He had 18 points in the semifinals against Louisville.

Now playing for the LA Lakers, Anthony Davis has achieved immortality. Not only was he named a part of the NBA's top 75 players of all time, but he also won an NBA title alongside one of the league's all-time greats, LeBron James.