What was Anthony Davis' contract with New Orleans Pelicans that he forced his way out of?

Anthony Davis was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans, known as the Hornets at the time, in 2012. Davis immediately established himself to become the team's best player in just his second season. His first four years with the Pelicans were certainly a period wherein he was still learning the ropes. However, AD's dynamic with the team changed when he became a bonafide superstar.

After his rookie contract ended, Davis signed another five-year deal worth $127.17 million with the Pelicans. He basically made an average of $25.43 million per year. Despite extending his contract for another five years in New Orleans, "The Brow" wanted to be traded elsewhere. It was a dramatic situation for the Pelicans organization at the time.

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Why did Anthony Davis leave New Orleans Pelicans?

Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers

According to Sportscasting, Anthony Davis revealed why he wanted out. Growing up, Davis grew accustomed to winning basketball games most of the time. Before getting drafted into the NBA, AD was always the best player on the court in high school. In his college years, he and Kentucky went on to win the national championship in 2012.

Getting drafted as the first overall pick was definitely a momentous moment for the big man. However, winning mattered to him more than just being the top dog in the franchise. Unfortunately, the Pelicans were one of the worst teams in the league during his time with them.

That resulted in Anthony Davis slowly losing his love for basketball. He also said that he lost the enthusiasm to even show up to work.

"When you’re losing, you don’t realize that you’re not happy," Davis said. "You made a ton of money. You can do whatever you want. You can live this lifestyle, quote-unquote ‘The American Dream,’ but losing sucks. I realized that I’m not happy. I want to be happy."

AD continued:

"You kind of go through these times where it’s like, do I really want to play basketball? Am I really good enough? You start doubting yourself because you’re not happy. I’m not happy, and it’s reflecting my game. It starts leading to minor injuries; you’re not playing hard enough, things like that."

Fortunately, the Pelicans ended up giving into AD's trade request and sending him over to the LA Lakers. "The Brow" was happy, as he teamed up with three-time champion LeBron James.

Anthony Davis' request paid off as he found the success he had been looking for. That came in 2020, when he and the Lakers became the NBA champions.