On Monday, Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks played at the Smoothie King Center, home of the New Orleans Pelicans, for the first time this season. As expected, the fans didn’t greet Davis with cheers of adoration. Instead, he got the usual reception stars get when they play against a former team.
Pelicans Fans Make Their Feelings Toward Anthony Davis Known During Monday’s Matchup
It seems the Pelicans fans are still not over with how Davis ended his tenure with the team. This became evident early in the first quarter of Monday’s Mavs-Pelicans matchup.
With over seven minutes left in the game’s first frame, Davis asked for the ball from Ryan Nembhard. As soon as Davis received it, he was met with a chorus of disapproval as the booing reverberated throughout the Smoothie King Center.
The Pelicans fans still haven’t forgiven AD “BOOOOOO” pic.twitter.com/lXjyGVCkmw
— MavsHighlights (@MavsHighlights) December 23, 2025
The Pelicans fans got what they wanted, as Davis turned the ball over on that very same play. He still delivered a monster performance with 35 points and 17 rebounds, but his best efforts were not enough as the Mavs ended up taking the loss with a final score of 113-119.
Despite coming off the bench, Williamson led the Pelicans in scoring with 24 points on a hot 10-for-14 shooting.
New Orleans fans had high hopes for Davis when he was drafted. He was taken first overall during the 2012 draft and was considered a franchise star who would elevate the team to championship contention.
However, his time with the Pelicans was far from ideal. During his stint, they made the postseason just twice: once in 2015 and again in 2018.
Early in 2019, it was clear that he was ready to move on. He informed the organization that he would not sign an extension with them and instead desired to be traded. He was officially traded in July of that same year to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In exchange for Davis, the Pelicans received what could have been a potential foundation for a bright future. Aside from getting three first-round picks, they also got Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Josh Hart.
Of the three, only Ingram stayed for a significant period. Ball was traded to the Chicago Bulls in the summer of 2021, despite displaying fantastic chemistry with Zion Williamson, while Hart was traded midway through the 2020-21 season.
Ingram did earn one All-Star nod as a part of the team in 2020. However, his All-Star status did not translate to postseason success. His time in New Orleans finally came to an end in February, after he was traded to the Toronto Raptors.
