The Dallas Mavericks are still scrambling to explain to the world why they traded a 25-year-old superstar entering his prime. The Luka Doncic trade has made headlines around the world, with almost everyone now treating the Mavericks like the butt of a bad joke while mocking this ridiculous decision.
LeBron James joined in on the mockery by sharing a Turkish proverb with a thinly-veiled message on Instagram that seemed to take a shot at the new owners in Dallas.
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.”
This story came shortly after Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont spoke to the media and addressed their decision to move on from Luka.
“In my mind, the way teams win is by focus, by having the right character, by having the right culture and having the right dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome. And if you’re not doing that, you’re going to lose.”
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with – Jordan, Bird, Kobe, Shaq — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win. And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.”
“That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”
Doncic has long been regarded as a talent that’s on the level of the names Dumont mentioned. Anyone thinking he’s gotten as good as he is today without working hard and having the right character seems really odd. If results speak for themselves, Doncic led this franchise to an NBA Finals and a Conference Finals in the last three seasons before even turning 25 years old.
The examples named by Dumont are also ridiculous, as all the players outside Kobe Bryant had notorious off-court habits as well.
Michael Jordan was a cigar-smoking legend who would sometimes prioritize playing golf or cards over basketball while Larry Bird was an avid drinker who was known for his affinity for beers. We aren’t mentioning this to discredit them but to prove a point – Greatness always finds a way.
Using Shaquille O’Neal as an example of hard work and dedication over your own franchise’s icon Dirk Nowitzki was an odd move as well. Doncic is most comparable with Shaq in terms of how people keep lamenting their inability to come into a season in shape and ready to dominate. O’Neal’s dominance on the court made it a moot point, and so did Doncic over the last few seasons.
LeBron James is supporting his new teammate, who has been given all the motivation he needs to lock in and show the Mavericks how dedicated he can be to his body.
If he becomes a multi-time champion and MVP with the Lakers, the Mavericks might never gain the trust of another superstar player in the NBA and will struggle for relevance.
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