Anthony Davis will look a little different the next time he plays a game inside American Airlines Center.
And not just because of his new haircut.
The Dallas Mavericks star power forward will wear protective eyewear for the remainder of his NBA career, a mandate from his doctor following a procedure in July to repair a detached retina in his right eye.
“It’s for the rest of [my] career, which I’m not too excited about,” Davis said during Monday’s media day. “I’ve been wearing them in the summer, working out and trying to get used to them but you guys will see me in the “Horace Grant’s” this year or Kareem [Abdul-Jabbar]’s. It won’t be like that, but I will have some protective eyewear, for sure.”
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Davis said his initial problems with his right eye began toward the end of last season. He attempted to grab the basketball during a game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 2 and caught an inadvertent elbow from Mavericks teammate Daniel Gafford.
Davis missed the following game against the LA Clippers, but played in the final five out of six remaining contests of the season, including both games of the Play-In Tournament. He said he was advised to have surgery during a routine offseason checkup at his optometrist.
The bulk of Davis’ offseason centered around his recovery. He said his eye “feels great” and his vision has returned. A corner of the eye remains red, a side effect of his medical eye drops.
The 10-time All-Star is expected to shoulder the bulk of the load for the Mavericks as they navigate life without Kyrie Irving, who will miss multiple months recovering from ACL surgery. Dallas will need to be healthy to return to the playoffs. And it all starts with Davis, who understands the team will rely on his versatile two-way talent on a nightly basis.
“One thing I want to be different from last year is try to be on the floor,” Davis said. “I can say health plays a factor. I just want to be on the floor as much as possible.”
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