The Luka Doncic trade left fans furious at the Dallas Mavericks, and particularly at GM Nico Harrison. For the first time since the big blockbuster trade, Davis spoke to the fans and acknowledged their grief during this difficult time of transition.
“I understand it,” said Davis in his introductory press conference on Friday. “It’s a business and I understand who Luka was to this franchise, to this city, and I’m never gonna downplay that — just how I know what I meant to the city of LA. I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction but it’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do and give the fans hope and reassurance on why Nico brought me here. So, I don’t know how tomorrow’s going to be as far as the reaction but I can’t control that. What I can control is going all in on winning basketball games and helping the team however I can but at the end of the day, I’m gonna give the city its life back. It’s a tough transition, a shock to all, but my job is to come in and play basketball and win basketball games.”
Davis also spoke on his fit with Kyrie Irving, a player that he’s long dreamt of sharing the court with.
“Having a guard like Kai, who can score and pass, he can do it all, there’s no flaw in his game. I don’t think he’s played with a guy like me as well, who can play in the pocket, who can roll to the rim, do a lot in the pick and pop. It’s a different dynamic that I bring to him and he brings to me so I think we complement each other very well.”
Anthony Davis was traded to the Mavericks this week in a move that shook the entire NBA world. With the trade deadline over now, the Mavericks can finally settle in with their new roster, and the process began on Friday with Davis’ introductory press conference.
While AD is a champion and 10x All-Star, many Mavericks fans are still mixed about his arrival simply because it involved trading away Luka Doncic, a player who many believe is a generational talent. At 25 years old, Luka has already proven himself as one of the top players in the game and he still has room to grow.
The Mavericks, however, lost faith in Doncic as their franchise player and they gave him up in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a future first-round pick. The team belongs to Davis now although many fans are not yet ready to accept the decision to trade Luka.
Tomorrow, February 8, will be the Mavericks’ first game back at American Airlines Center since parting with Doncic and everyone knows to expect a hostile crowd. The fans want to make their voices heard, even if it means spoiling Davis’ debut.
The key for the Mavericks is to play through the noise and validate the Luka trade by winning big when it matters the most. This season, with Davis, Irving,m and Klay Thompson at the helm, the Mavericks have ambitions to make a deep playoff run.
Of course, over the next few years, the Mavericks plan to be squarely in the mix for the NBA championship and they need a win to validate trading away their franchise player at 25 years old.
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