The Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers was one of the most shacking moves in NBA history after he had just led them to the NBA Finals the season before.
But even than more shocking than trading Doncic was how the Mavericks treated him on his way out. Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont and general manager Nico Harrison made it clear that Doncic’s poor work ethic was the main reason they lost faith in him as their franchise cornerstone.
To Doncic’s credit, he has not fired shots back at the Mavericks in the aftermath of the trade. As he gets set to return to Dallas for the first time though, he set the record straight about his work ethic and the disrespect he has felt hearing it come into question, via Dan Woike of the L.A. Times:
“They have no idea,” Doncic told The Times of those doubters. “… I didn’t end up here by mistake. You know? I worked my ass off to be here. So it’s kinda, I would say disrespectful, just sad that people say that.”
This trade may have been the best thing that could happen to Doncic in the long run as not only does he get to play for a historic organization like the Lakers, but he now will always have a little extra motivation to be great considering how the Mavericks treated him on his way out.
Being teammates with LeBron James can also do wonders for a young player as far as learning how to be a professional and taking care of your body, and Doncic’s family has already taken notice of what the 40-year-old does on a daily basis to do exactly that.
While Doncic will never be the physical specimen that James is, he is obviously doing something right as being First Team All-NBA five times before turning 26 does not happen without some sort of work ethic.
Luka Doncic expecting emotional return to Dallas
Luka Doncic had never been traded before, so he is not exactly sure what to expect when the Lakers play the Mavericks in Dallas. But he knows it will be an emotional night for him.
“Of course, it’s going to be a lot of emotion for me. I don’t even know what to expect. I don’t know how I’m going to feel, honestly. I know I’m looking forward to being back in Dallas, obviously with the fans, see my ex-teammates. It’s going to be very emotional for me for sure.”
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