On the day Anthony Davis retires, LeBron James may be regarded as his all-time greatest teammate. Over the past five years, the legendary tandem has jointly won a championship and wrought devastation on the league. 

Nevertheless, there were two individuals in AD’s tenure who were unable to fully develop and achieve their maximum capabilities. Prior to his 2019 transfer to the Lakers, AD briefly played alongside DeMarcus Cousins, a four-time All-Star. 

 In 2017, when the two joined forces, Cousins was unquestionably the greatest center in the league, and AD was the most promising youngster. The greatest “What If” of his career was unveiled by Cousins during his appearance on Podcast P with Paul George. 

Despite their brief tenure, Cousins likened their potential to that of an illustrious Spurs duo. “I am convinced that we could have formed a pairing similar to Tim Duncan and David Robinson.” Considering that Robinson and Duncan were two of the finest athletes in Spurs franchise history, that is an enormous claim. Additionally, the pair guided the Spurs to two championships, in 2003 and 1999.

When you think about it, however, Cousins’ assertion does not seem overly implausible. Cousins initially believed that Sacramento was attempting to “him out” by pairing him with Davis, who plays the same position as him, upon his transfer to the Pelicans in 2017. Later, DeMarcus came to the conclusion that Davis was the “most talented individual” with whom he had ever collaborated, and he resolved to seize the opportunity. 

They dominated during the brief period they spent together. The 2017-18 season saw an average of 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds from cousins. In contrast, AD recorded 11.1 rebounds and 28.1 points.