Anthony Davis declares 'I'm here' during Mavs debut vs. Rockets (Video)

Anthony Davis primal scream, Rockets vs. Mavericks, 2/8/2025

New Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis made his presence felt early during Saturday's NBA game against Houston. It was Davis' first game with his new team after he was traded to the Mavs in that shocking trade that sent Luka Doncic to the L.A. Lakers.

In the first 4:26 of the game, Davis had six points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and one block. The highlight of that stretch was Davis following up his own miss on a driving layup with a huge putback jam, prompting a primal scream, some chest bumps with his new teammates and a declaration to the Dallas fans: "I'M HERE!"

Davis has been displaying his impressive basketball skills for over a decade. Looks like Davis is excited and looking to make the most of this opportunity to be a superstar in the "Big D".

At halftime, Davis was halfway to a triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks as the Mavs led the Rockets 65-48.

Unfortunately, just as Mavs GM Nico Harrison was looking like a genius, Davis' debut was derailed with a non-contact injury. It happened with about 2:16 remaining in the third quarter with the Mavs leading 83-75. Davis was positioning himself to slow down a driving Alperen Sengun when he dropped down to the ground. Sengun threw down a dunk, and Davis got up grabbing his groin. Shortly afterwards, he headed to the locker room.

The Mavs were able to hold on for the 116-105 win over the Rockets, but Davis' injury history has reared his ugly once again. That was certainly one of the big concerns that Mavs had by making this trade. Time will tell how things work out.

[@NBA, @cjzero]