Once again, the New Orleans Pelicans have failed to stand up to their bullying megastar and NBA league executives, and have announced they'll allow Anthony Davis to play tomorrow in their first game since the All-Star break.
Alvin Gentry says Anthony Davis will play tomorrow night
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 21, 2019
The move was announced today by coach Alvin Gentry, surprising many who believed the team would stake a strong stand against Davis who spent All-Star weekend talking to the media about the other teams he'd like to play for. This move also comes after Davis was seen exiting the Smoothie King Center mid-game after suffering a minor shoulder bruise, an action that left owner Gayle Benson irate enough to summarily fire General Manager Dell Demps the following morning.
To say the move is disappointing is an understatement. Davis has used every bit of his power and influence to flaunt his desire to no longer play for the franchise. He, and his representatives, have acted like petulant, spoiled children throwing tantrums through this whole process, and when the didn't get want they wanted before the trade deadline -- a trade to the Lakers -- his behavior has resembled something akin to Joffrey Baratheon.
The Pelicans have again bent the knee to King Davis, setting a terrible precedent that NBA stars can do, and say, anything they want while still under contract with little to no repercussions. Anybody hoping that team management would stand up for their franchise, their fans, and their city in the face of these bully tactics are left disappointed once more.
