Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) and center Daniel Gafford (21) celebrates after Davis dunks the ball during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Anthony Davis earns Maverick teammate's respect by coming back from injury

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Keenan Womack | Last updated Mar 31, 2025 6:25 PM ET

In the midst of the season from hell that the Dallas Mavericks have experienced, things like low effort caused by low morale can permeate a locker room and cause real chemistry issues. Considering the string of injuries and bad decisions by the front office, this would be the year to give up on the team, but this group does not have that attitude.

Star forward/center Anthony Davis, who easily could have shut himself down for the season after suffering a serious adductor strain, made his return last week and will play tonight against the Brooklyn Nets.

His resilience has been a point of inspiration for the rest of this Dallas squad, with players like Daniel Gafford praising Davis' decision to continue to play in what is a lost season: “First off, it's just the love of the game, for sure...to come back and just make an impact for the team, that says a lot about him because he wants to be out there helping the team as much as he can.”

Gafford is also out with an injury, though it seems he could make a return of his own on Monday night against the Nets. What stands out about this interaction is that these players are not allowing the outside noise to change their feelings about winning and being competitive. It speaks to the strong character amongst this group that players are continuing to work back from being hurt and getting onto the floor. Hopefully, for them, it results in more wins.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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