Mavericks' Jason Kidd reveals why Anthony Davis 'pushed hard' for injury return
03/24/2025 07:27 PM
Anthony Davis appeared unlikely to return to the Dallas Mavericks’ lineup this season after Kyrie Irving’s season-ending knee injury. With the star guard’s torn ACL ending any championship hopes, there was little perceived benefit to bringing Davis back. Many viewed it as illogical, given the team could boost its draft lottery odds by holding him out.
However, Davis will return from a six-week absence on Monday vs. the Brooklyn Nets. The 10-time All-Star “pushed hard” to come back from an adductor injury as the Mavericks battle for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Head coach Jason Kidd addressed how the team is balancing Davis’ desire to play with prioritizing the 32-year-old’s long-term health.
"I think you have to commend him for working to get back because this is his job. He feels responsible to get back to work,” Kidd said. “We can always talk about the future, and so that's the balance that we have to look at. And tonight's the start of him working towards playing the rest of the season. But you gotta remember, he gets paid to play. I know you think this is a joke, but his character of working to get back with 12 games left shows how much he cares about what he wants to do, and that's to help his team win."
Jason Kidd responds to reports that Anthony Davis "pushed hard" to return from his injury this season:
"I think you have to commend him for working to get back because this is his job. He feels responsible to get back to work… He gets paid to play. I know you think this is a… pic.twitter.com/ARqAlJYNun
— Erik Slater (@erikslater_) March 24, 2025
Davis has been sidelined since injuring his adductor during his Mavericks debut on Feb. 8. He posted 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting with 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks before sustaining the injury during the third quarter of a 116-105 win over the Houston Rockets.
Jason Kidd outlines hopes for Anthony Davis’ return from injury
The star big man had been dealing with an abdominal injury with the Lakers before the blockbuster Luka Doncic trade. Kidd said on Monday that Davis will be on a 28-minute limit vs. the Nets.
"We would like to just have a healthy, positive experience on the minutes restriction that he'll be on,” the head coach said. “We understand he's one of the best players in the world, but he's been out for some time… I think the last time we saw him against Houston, everyone was excited. Unfortunately, he got hurt. But again, for him to be back, to now just build on what he did in that Houston game [will be good]. But it's been some time, so just gotta get the rust off and hope that he has a positive experience and he's healthy coming out of this."
Davis has had one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 25.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.2. blocks on 52.8 percent shooting over 43 appearances. The Mavericks are tied with the Phoenix Suns for the East’s final play-in spot with 11 games remaining.
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