Anthony Davis Looks Forward to Joining the New Orleans Hornets

The New Orleans Hornets — surprise winners of the Draft Lottery — won’t admit it yet, but it’s obvious that they will select Anthony Davis with the top pick in this year’s NBA Draft. Davis, who won a national championship with the Kentucky Wildcats in New Orleans back in March, is eagerly anticipating the start of his pro career in the Big Easy. From ESPN: “The Hornets moved up three spots in the NBA draft lottery on Wednesday night to land the No. 1 pick, snatching the honor away from Charlotte, Washington and Cleveland. The coincidence for Davis couldn’t have been predicted. On the day he received his national championship ring from the NCAA for earning a title in New Orleans for Kentucky in March, he found out the Hornets had won the right to select him on June 28. ‘I won a national championship in New Orleans, so why not win another one in New Orleans?’ said Davis, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four and the consensus National Player of the Year award winner in his only season at Kentucky. ‘I just have to buy into what they’re doing and work my hardest,’ said Davis. New Orleans won’t publicly commit to selecting Davis — at least not yet — but there is no other expected selection at the top of the draft. The Hornets, who finished with the worst record in the Western Conference at 21-45, do have experience up front in Emeka Okafor and Chris Kaman, if both return next season. ‘That helps, because there are guys there that can show me how things work,’ Davis said. ‘They can take me under their wing. It makes it a lot easier.’ Davis was savvy to the present mood in New Orleans professional sports, with the spring dominated by the news of bounty-related suspensions to the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. The Saints dominated local coverage during the Final Four. ‘This can kind of bring joy back to New Orleans,’ Davis said. ‘I guess I get lucky when I go there.’”