Anthony Davis Ready to "Showcase What I Do" in Wizards Debut

After months of waiting through the offseason and years of patience amid the rebuild, the wait is officially over as the Washington Wizards take the floor on Wednesday night with the regular season opener against the Milwaukee Bucks marking a new chapter for the organization.

Yet in addition to the first time that Anthony Davis takes the floor in a regular season game in 286 games, the veteran forward is also officially set to make his Washington Wizards debut nine months after his trade ahead of the deadline materialized.

Davis' arrival was also met with near-instant debate about whether a subsequent trade would ultimately materialize prior to a Wizards debut coming to fruition. After months of interviews and back-and-forth comments, the front office was then tasked with navigating through his contract extension window opening only for the two sides to table a new deal until the start of the regular season.

With the past settled and no longer an ongoing storyline, Davis enters his tenure in Washington with a chance to prove himself after the 33 year old missed over 56% of regular season games since the start of the 2024-25 regular season. With his hand injury that derailed his 2025-26 season behind him and Davis set to enter the upcoming regular season at full strength, the ten-time All Star will become the first Wizard to wear no. 23 since Michael Jordan retired -- for the last time -- following the 2002-03 season.

Yet Davis joined his teammates and coaches who shied away from placing expectations on what the upcoming regular season could -- or should -- look like, but there are expectations held during practices inside CareFirst Arena between the players. Like when second year guard Tre Johnson tells Davis, "you weren't top-75 [all-time]" after practice.

"You look for that type of stuff, players who are going to hold you accountable no matter what you've done in this league, what you are in this league," Davis said.

Davis will now anchor a Wizards' frontcourt with the personnel to deploy double big lineups alongside Alex Sarr and Deandre Ayton, giving head coach Brian Keefe a chance to turn to multiple different scoring options across his lineup combinations. Ayton pointed to Davis as one he wished he played with earlier in his career with the tandem among the best rebounders in the NBA over their careers. Davis, meanwhile, was the one to lead the Wizards in scoring after averaging 13.3 points on 45.5% shooting across his three preseason appearances.

Though his debut will materialize with AJ Dybantsa sidelined for his rookie debut, Wednesday offers a chance for Davis to "go out there and showcase what I do" inside Capital One Arena.

"I'm not looking to do anything but get a win with the team," Davis said ahead of the opener. "I feel like I'm back to where I want to be as far as my game on the floor, health-wise. At this point now it's about putting it all together and starting the season off right."