Five-time champion Don Nelson was in attendance for Game 2 of the NBA Finals as he was being honored with the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. Before celebrating his success, however, the former Dallas Mavericks head coach used the platform to protest the Luka Doncic trade.
While speaking to the media before the game, Nelson said, “As a matter of fact, I want everyone to know, I’m wearing Luka’s new shoes from Nike. I just got ’em on the market. And I’m wearing them in protest for the trade from Dallas. I think it was a tremendous mistake by the Dallas franchise to trade him, and I want everyone to know that.”
Nelson had arrived at Game 2 of the Finals at the Paycom Center wearing Doncic’s new signature shoe, the Luka 4, specifically in the “Gone Fishing” colorway.
Don Nelson is already at the Finals in OKC doing interviews about his Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the @NBA_Coaches.
Here he is wearing Luka 4s in the Gone Fishing colorway in a nod to the fish ties he wore as a coach.
And here’s our chat: https://t.co/LW6Y68XiBy https://t.co/CV1MMB03nW pic.twitter.com/XGkQn0fn51
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 8, 2025
Nelson’s words carry significant weight in this regard. The former Mavericks head coach is widely regarded as one of the best coaches of all time, having won three NBA Coach Of The Year awards as well. His impact during his coaching career at Dallas was significant, having enjoyed a 339-251 record during his tenure.
Although he has spoken fondly of the Mavericks franchise for the most part, his decision to protest their move at the trade deadline is rather jarring.
The Luka Doncic trade was one of the most polarizing events of the 2024-25 regular season. In a historic move that shifted the landscape of the NBA, two superstars swapped franchises and effectively flipped the season around.
With Doncic, the Los Angeles Lakers climbed to third in the league. Meanwhile, the Mavs collapsed under injury pressure and found themselves fighting for a Play-In tournament spot.
In the wake of Doncic’s departure from Dallas, Mavs GM Nico Harrison could be considered one of the most controversial individuals in the league. The sheer hatred he was subjected to from the fan base, while concerning, could also be understood in light of his questionable judgment.
However, the decision to trade the star also had positive connotations as the franchise ended up in a position to restructure their future with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Although there is no direct evidence to link the two events, NBA commissioner Adam Silver has addressed that the current state of the team may have been a factor in deciding the odds for the lottery.
Regardless, the Doncic trade was monumental, particularly for the Lakers. Having acquired a genuine superstar to build their future around, the Purple and Gold are expected to give him full control to decide the details of his extension with the team.
With great expectations from the side in light of his reinvigorated effort towards conditioning and improving, the Lakers will also hope to see him bring more silverware during his time playing alongside LeBron James.
