Anthony Davis would rather win a second Olympic gold medal in 2016 than a first NBA MVP.
“Only because it comes every four years, and you’re not knowing if you’re going to play again [in the Olympics],” Davis said in a Slam magazine video interview. “You can get a chance to win the MVP every year, and I experienced it the first time, and it was, nothing like it [winning the gold medal].”
In 2012, Davis, then 19, became the second youngest American to play basketball in the Olympics (Nancy Lieberman, Montreal 1976), according to sports-reference.com.
He played the fewest minutes on the 12-man U.S. roster in London, 52 across seven games, and averaged 3.7 points per game playing behind Kevin Love and Tyson Chandler. Davis scored zero points in the three elimination-round games.
Davis wasn’t named to the original 2012 U.S. Olympic team but replaced the injured Blake Griffin two weeks before the Games.
Davis is more likely to play heavy minutes should he make the 2016 U.S. Olympic team, being a reigning All-NBA First Team pick while two of the other top NBA big men are Spaniards Pau and Marc Gasol.
Also in the interview, Davis said his favorite Olympic sport to watch is tennis and if he could participate in another Olympic event it would be the long jump.
“Long legs, tall, athletic,” said Davis, who is 6 feet, 10 inches. “So I think I would do pretty good in there.”
Davis among 34 players on U.S. Olympic roster long list at training camp