Why is Anthony Davis not playing for Team USA in FIBA World Cup 2023?

With the FIBA World Cup set to begin on August 25, Team USA is already putting plans in place for training camp. However, All-Star big man Anthony Davis will not be part of the national team's plans heading into the FIBA World Cup tournament.

Over the past three seasons, Davis has been plagued by injury issues, and he likely wants to prioritize giving his body the best chance to recover during the summer. Instead of participating in the FIBA World Cup, Davis will stay at home to work with his skills trainers and sports science team.

Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers fell short of their NBA Championship goal, suffering a sweep at the hands of the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. During the regular-season, Davis had once again been dealing with lingering injuries, which may have limited his ability to play at his best during the postseason.

As such, it makes sense that Anthony Davis would spurn the opportunity to represent Team USA at the FIBA World Cup so that he could continue to work on getting his body right ahead of another season where the Lakers will have their eyes on a championship season.

When healthy, Davis is among the best players on the planet and can dominate a game on both sides of the floor. To begin the 2022-23 season, Anthony Davis was playing at an MVP level before an injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, and he never reached that level upon his return.

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Anthony Davis has adopted boxing training ahead of the new season

In a bid to improve his overall health, along with developing better muscle density and dexterity, Anthony Davis has begun training in boxing. Damian Lillard popularized boxing training over the past few seasons, and now, multiple NBA stars take to the heavy bag during the offseason as part of their strength and conditioning training.

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Austin Reaves praises Anthony Davis

Austin Reaves, a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, praised Anthony Davis during a recent appearance on the 'All The Smoke Podcast.' Reaves highlighted Davis's defensive contributions, mentioning how having him as a rim protector allows guards to be more aggressive and shoot passing lanes confidently.

“I don’t think he gets enough credit for what he does (defensively) for us as guards," Reaves said. "Knowing you have him as a rim protector, you can be more physical, more aggressive, you can shoot passing lanes and know if they get in the paint then it’s going to be tough to get two anyways.”

“He’s arguably right behind LeBron as the most skilled player I’ve ever seen...Just his height, the way he moves, he can handle the ball, he can shoot it. There’s really nothing he can’t do."

Unfortunately, Team USA, and the FIBA World Cup, won't get to see what Anthony Davis is capable of this summer, as he continues to focus on adding another championship to his resume.