Ever since the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, there has been a lot of leaks coming from inside the Mavericks organization. Talks about Doncic’s issues when it comes to weight and his overall habits and work ethic have been prevalent and used as the primary reason why Dallas felt they needed to move on from arguably the best young talent in the NBA.
The Lakers are less concerned about these issues and the idea of Doncic being extra motivated because of all these leaks after the fact is very legitimate. The trade is still viewed by most as a massive mistake on the Mavericks’ part, but apparently their concerns are ones that many shared when Doncic was first joining the league.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the weight and social concerns the Mavericks had have been point of concern since the new Lakers superstar was dominating for Real Madrid, with some believing it will ultimately ruin Doncic’s career:
Make no mistake, the people who witnessed Dončić’s last days in Dallas do not paint a flattering portrait of the 25-year-old’s professionalism. They call him lazy. They talk about the weight issues that were such a frequent frustration within their walls. They mention the social habits that The Athletic has reported on — such as a taste for beer and hookah — which have been a point of concern for NBA types since he was a 19-year-old star for Real Madrid who was entering the NBA Draft. They predict his basketball demise, highlighting a health history that, as some see it, will likely lead to catastrophe in the next five years or so.
Doncic isn’t the first prospect to have something like this questioned coming into the NBA. But whether it was at Real Madrid, the Mavericks or now the Lakers, Doncic was simply been unstoppable and now he has the perfect opportunity to improve upon those habits by learning from LeBron James who takes care of his body greater than any athlete.
These kinds of things are exactly what motivates the best athletes to prove their doubters wrong and Doncic is the kind of athlete to see all of this and take it personally. Doncic knows the goals and expectations that come with being a member of the Lakers and more questions about him being lazy and unhealthy will only push him to bring a championship back to L.A. that much more.
Lakers’ Luka Doncic discusses emotions playing vs. Maverick for first time
One big moment for Luka Doncic as a member of the Lakers has officially passed with his first game against his former team, a win at Crypto.com Arena, in which Doncic recorded a triple-double. Afterwards, Doncic admitted it was weird playing against the Mavericks for the first time.
“It’s so weird, the moments,” he said. “I don’t know what I was doing. I’m just glad we got the win.”
But even though this first game has passed, the Lakers star admitted it will still take more time for him to really get full closure.
“I mean, the closure is going to take a while, I think,” he said. “It’s not ideal. But I say I’m glad this game is over. It was a lot of emotions, but we go little by little. Every day is better.”
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