In a recent interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic opened up on a variety of topics, ranging from the upcoming playoffs to his viral trade to the Los Angeles Lakers. On the subject of Mavericks GM Nico Harrison and his claims that “defense wins championships,” Doncic expressed disappointment that a man he once considered his ally would stoop so low.
“It mostly came from Dallas, but I didn’t want to talk back,” said Doncic on the reports of his bad habits and poor attitude. “I don’t read into any of that stuff, I just try to focus on my journey… It’s sad the way he’s talking right now. I never say anything bad about him. I just want to move on.”
Doncic hasn’t spoken to Nico Harrison since he was traded, and he likely has no desire to. What happened that night was like a stab in the back for Luka, who would have stayed loyal to the Dallas Mavericks had he not been sent to Los Angeles. Doncic claims he was ready to spend the next 10+ years with the franchise.
“Of course,” said Doncic, on whether he planned to finish his career in Dallas. “That’s an easy question.”
Loyalty is becoming increasingly rare in the NBA, but Luka Doncic’s loyalty to the Mavericks was unquestionable. After being drafted in 2018, Doncic gave everything to Dallas, and it’s the place where he ascended into superstardom.
Like his friend and mentor Dirk Nowitzki, Luka was on a mission to bring another championship to the city and give the fans an experience they haven’t had since 2011. With averages of 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game this season, Doncic was in the middle of another stellar campaign, and it only made it more shocking when Nico Harrison gave it all up for 32-year-old Anthony Davis.
It wasn’t just concerns about Luka’s leadership that caused the Mavericks to lose faith. As GM Nico Harrison has explained multiple times, it’s also his shortcomings on defense. Luka has never been known as a great defender, and his flaws on that end of the floor were exposed in the Finals when the Celtics hunted him down for easy buckets.
Defense has always been a problem for Doncic, and it’s made him borderline unplayable at times. Since coming to the Lakers, however, Luka has shown tremendous growth on that end of the floor, thanks to JJ Redick and LeBron James, who have helped put him in positions to succeed.
With a defensive rating of 111.6, Luka still has some areas in need of improvement on that end, but the Lakers have been moving just fine both with and without him on the court. During a stretch in March (when they won 13 of 15 games), the Lakers went from the 20th-best defense to the first, thanks to a strategy employed by JJ Redick: pressuring the opposition’s best players while encouraging the least efficient scorers to take more shots.
For his part, Luka has been bought in since day one, and it’s obvious that the trade from Dallas has become a powerful source of inspiration for him. After being traded from his team and having his reputation smeared, Doncic has a lot to prove with the Lakers, and he will not rest until the Mavericks regret letting him go.
