“People better watch the f–k out for AD” – Kendrick Perkins warns the NBA about sleeping on Anthony Davis originally appeared on Basketball Network.
As the 2025-26 NBA season approaches, speculation has already begun over which players will emerge as frontrunners for individual accolades and which stars will dominate the spotlight. Amid these discussions, Kendrick Perkins has highlighted Anthony Davis as the player the entire league should not overlook.
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The former NBA center turned analyst emphasized that while the bulk of attention is going on Luka Doncic being the new face of the LA Lakers, and there is unprecedented excitement around how Cooper Flagg will integrate himself into the Dallas Mavericks team, AD has been unfairly forgotten. This is why Big Perk warned the NBA about the incoming ‘revenge tour’ of Davis to reclaim the spotlight.
Anthony Davis has a lot to prove
Davis’ mid-season arrival in Dallas was met with hardly any excitement, as the Mavericks fans were largely frustrated in witnessing a 25-year-old superstar in Doncic being traded. Moreover, even when AD was eager to prove his worth, he unfortunately aggravated a lingering foot injury, which forced him to be sidelined for even more games.
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Despite the 10-time All-Star returning for the last stretch of the regular season games, Dallas had too many holes to overcome to be a part of the final playoff bracket in the West. As a result, according to Perkins, this will only increase Davis’ motivation heading into his first full season with his new team.
Given that Davis is just 32 and undoubtedly having the deepest frontcourt backup alongside him, Perkins is certain that the 2025-26 campaign could be the best of Davis’ career. Furthermore, given how Davis has gone from being the face of the Lakers to an experienced veteran for the Mavs, Perkins has warned the NBA about rubbing ‘The Brow’ in the wrong way in these past months.
“People are sleeping on Anthony Marshon Davis Jr… Anthony Davis and Karl Anthony Towns are the two players who have the most to prove this season,” Perkins declared on the ‘Road Trippin’ Podcast.’ “Like I said, AD was traded for an international superstar. Anthony Davis is going to be on a mission… the passion and what I’ve been saying for Anthony Davis before the season ended, what he’s been saying in the media for how he has embraced this, people better watch the f–k out for AD.”
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Davis needs to remind everyone who he is
It was not long ago that Davis was spoken of in the same context as some of the most dominant big men in today’s league: Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic. At that time, Davis was seen as capable of competing with them for the league’s top individual honors. However, circumstances have changed rapidly, and AD now faces the challenge of re-establishing his reputation.
So, it is safe to state that for him to restore that level of respect, he must not only guide the Mavs deep into the postseason, particularly in the absence of Kyrie Irving, but also post All-NBA First Team and MVP-caliber numbers. Achieving this would not only reignite belief within the Dallas fanbase but also reassert Davis’s place among the league’s elite.
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With Davis being reckoned as a player that the entire league has slept upon, either Perkins will be remembered for his bold proclamation or laughed at for exaggerating Davis’ potential in the coming months.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.