The NBA world was stunned when the Dallas Mavericks traded their franchise star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for forward Anthony Davis. This surprising move sparked a backlash from the Mavericks fan base against general manager Nico Harrison.
Earlier this week, Harrison and Mavs CEO Rick Welts held a private press conference with select journalists in Dallas, addressing the trade for the first time. Remarkably, Harrison indicated that he has “no regrets” regarding the deal, asserting his belief that “defense wins championships,” according to ESPN. In response, Doncic expressed his feelings about Harrison’s comments.
“I mean it’s painful, depending on how you take it,” Doncic said. “It mostly came from Dallas, so I didn’t want to talk back. But I don’t really read that much stuff. I’m just trying to focus on my journey.” He shared that he was lying down when he first learned of the trade: “I was actually in bed. My TV wasn’t working so I was on my iPad watching a movie about to go to sleep. First thing I said, probably three times, was, ‘Is this [an] April 1st [joke]?’”
Describing his initial reaction, Doncic added, “Sadness, mostly. I was still in shock. Like, crazy shock. I felt like my heart was broken, honestly.” If Doncic and the Lakers succeed in winning the NBA Finals this season, it’s hard to imagine Harrison will ever live this trade down.
