Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
On Tuesday, Luka Doncic was introduced as a member of the storied Los Angeles Lakers organization. Doncic spoke to the media on a number of topics while sitting next to Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka.
But he didn’t want to speak at length on the comments that surfaced from folks connected to the Dallas Mavericks after he was dealt to the Lakers. He said he is “taking the high road.”
Doncic hinted he will use the notion that he didn’t do a good enough job taking care of his body with the Mavericks as motivation going forward.
Doncic saw his time with the Mavericks come to an end several days ago after he spent the first six-plus seasons of his pro career in Dallas. He established himself as one of the elite players in the NBA in Dallas, as he earned five All-NBA nods and one scoring title during that stretch.
Dallas saw a lot of success from a collective perspective while Doncic was the head of the snake as well. The Mavericks made two Western Conference Finals appearances and one NBA Finals appearance with Doncic on the roster. In 2024, Dallas reached the championship series for the first time since 2011 when Dirk Nowitzki was leading the way.
In exchange for trading one of their best players in franchise history and more, the Mavericks obtained Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick in 2029. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said the team made the trade so that it could improve on the defensive side of the ball, and Davis certainly is an elite defender.
Still, even with that rationale in mind, there are plenty of folks who have been critical of the move from Dallas’ viewpoint. After all, the Mavericks decided to blow up a core that had been in the NBA Finals less than one year ago.
Hopefully, Doncic will be able to make his Lakers debut in the near future, and fans should be excited to see how the Slovenian will fare playing alongside LeBron James on one of the more decorated franchises in all of sports.
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