LeBron James gave Anthony Davis a doggy bag gift after he joined Lakers

The relationship between the NBA’s newest power couple was sealed with a handwritten card and a thoughtful gift hidden in a to-go bag.

Anthony Davis has revealed the touching moment LeBron James welcomed him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The star power forward joined James for dinner at one of his favourite restaurants in west LA after committing to form a power couple that’s expected to lead the Lakers back to prominence this season.

After a meal of pizza, James handed his new teammate a handwritten card — which said welcome to LA and was signed King James #6 — before producing a doggy bag.

Davis opened the bag to find a Lakers jersey, which he initially thought was a replica of the one James wears. But as he unfolded it he realised his name was printed on the back, confirming one of the greatest players in NBA history was giving up his preferred No. 23 so Davis could continue wearing the number he’d worn all his life.

“For him to, in an instant, just say, ‘Here. Here’s 23. You can have it.’ … It was a cool moment,” Davis told Dave McMenamin as part of a special feature produced by ESPN on his move to LA.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

“Just picture LeBron James going in to an Italian restaurant, going in to the kitchen, as he’s holding a jersey balled up in his hand and asking for a to-go bag so he can put the jersey in the bag so he can add to the element of surprise when he presents it to Anthony,” McMenamin told The Lowe Post podcast.

“Think of LeBron writing out a personalised card — this is a guy from the streets of Akron, a tough upbringing …

“I don’t know if you see the great players of the past who are all about machismo and (think) I’ve got to be the toughest guy, go to such lengths to make a guy feel welcome. To me that was cool. It shows the evolution of the game (and) the emotional intelligence of LeBron.”

A match made in basketball heaven. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

The Lakers may have had a little outside help pushing Davis their way.

Kendrick Perkins, who played with James in Cleveland, befriended Davis during the 2015-16 season, his lone campaign with the Pelicans.

During the course of the year, Perkins would gush about James to Davis. “I used to brag about Bron a lot with him,” Perkins told ESPN, where he now works as an analyst. “He really didn’t have to ask me (about James). I was doing more of the talking.”

Perkins, who played in just 35 games for New Orleans on the minimum salary, later introduced Davis to James’ agent Rich Paul when the centre was looking for new representation in 2018.

Davis signed with Paul’s Klutch Sports and eventually demanded a trade that landed him with the Lakers this off-season.

— with New York Post