Former Dallas Mavericks executive Haralabos Voulgaris made some interesting comments regarding Luka Doncic on the My First Million podcast. Voulgaris stated that Doncic never cared much about his conditioning and that everyone who worked for the Mavericks, apart from him, was scared of the superstar guard.
“He doesn’t take his conditioning seriously, he doesn’t take his diet seriously,” Voulgaris said. “This is all true… Every person who worked at the Mavericks, except for me, was terrified of this guy and either wanted to kiss his a** while he was there so they could secure their future,”
Voulgaris, who was with the team from 2018 to 2021, also recounted Doncic filling a thermos with lemonade and sweet tea in his rookie season. He told then-majority owner Mark Cuban that they weren’t ideal for consumption with all the calories.
Voulgaris claims Cuban responded by telling him to stay in his lane but added that sweet tea was off the menu two days later. The Athletic reached out to Cuban regarding these comments, but he brushed them off.
“Bob has always talked a good game,” Cuban said.
It’s hard to say if all of what Voulgaris stated was true or not, but the part about Doncic not taking his conditioning seriously appears to be accurate. We have heard that from one too many by now. While Voulgaris brought up lemonade and sweet tea, the Athletic reported that Doncic liked drinking beer and smoking hookah.
“Doncic, who joined the Mavs in 2018, presented a different type of mentality from Bryant. Doncic drinks beer and smokes a hookah, neither of which is atypical for a 25-year-old. But those behaviors didn’t fit Harrison’s mold.”
Doncic’s lack of care regarding his conditioning led to Mavericks GM Nico Harrison reportedly growing concerned about his health in the long term. Harrison felt the five-time All-Star’s body would break down sooner than many anticipated and did not want to make a huge financial commitment to him.
It has been reported that the Mavericks did not want to offer Doncic a supermax extension this summer. The 25-year-old would have been eligible to sign a five-year, $345 million deal and Harrison felt it would be a mistake to give it to him. So, he decided it was time to part ways.
The Mavericks traded away Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and got Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick in return. For as good as Davis is, it was an underwhelming return for a generational talent and Harrison has received a ton of criticism for his decision. Time will tell if his fears were warranted but it’s not looking good for him right now.
Haralabos Voulgaris Ripped Patrick Dumont For His Comments About Luka Doncic
While Voulgaris did not come across as Doncic’s biggest fan there, he did come to his defense after Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont took a shot at the guard. Dumont appeared to criticize Doncic for his work ethic and Voulgaris ripped him for it.
“The people who were critiquing him had no business. Those people have not accomplished anything. Who are they to be talking about what it takes to win? That’s the part that I found really offensive… You inherited a pretty good roster, generational superstars. Have a little bit more humility in knowing what it takes to win. Nico is in a tough position so I can empathize with him.”
“But the owner, this guy is like the definition of… He married into money. This guy does not look like he’s ever denied himself the luxury of an extra meal. So for him to talk about what it takes to win and to reference Shaq as the ultimate example is just so tone-deaf. Obviously, you managed to marry into this amazing family that has a lot of money. Great, congratulations.”
Voulgaris also added that the new ownership doesn’t care about Dallas and that this is all just a “real estate play” for them. He added that the comments were tone-deaf and that’s how many viewed them. The Mavericks appear to be desperately trying to justify their decision to trade Doncic but haven’t found much support yet.
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