National Basketball Association

Is Anthony Davis the next Bill Russell?

Published Apr. 22, 2015 3:21 p.m. ET

foxsports

Comparing any young big man to Bill Russell is a mistake. Russell is a legend, the most successful basketball player in the history of the universe.

New Orleans Pelicans center Anthony Davis understands this, but also appreciates all that Russell did in the past so that he could achieve all he's probably about to in the future.

"I'm more focused on Golden State, what they're trying to do to stop us and what we're trying to do to stop them," Davis told USA TODAY Sports. "But you do think about Bill Russell and what he did here, what he did for the league. He led the way for guys like us today. "I went in the Bill Russell Room, and me and (a Pelicans media relations official) were saying (as they looked at the picture) that he looks so much younger. He and I were in the same predicament. It's just cool when you see something like that."

Nothing is guaranteed in life, let alone professional sports. But it'd almost be a shock if Davis never won a championship. Or five. He's a prodigy. The rarest of the rare. And now that he's already seen individual success in the playoffs, against the best team in the league, what lies in front of him could feel like a playground.

It's a terrifying thought for the rest of the league.

(h/t: USA Today)