It wasn’t that long ago when former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban considered Luka Doncic the face of his franchise. But now, as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, Luka has lost Cuban’s support despite maintaining a close personal bond behind the scenes.
“Off the court, I love Luka to death, but on the court, f**k him. I don’t want him to get hurt or anything, but the Lakers have the same color as my High School, and I threw my high school gear away,” said Cuban on Gil’s Arena. “I’m gonna hope [the Lakers] go 0-82. I love Luka to death; he’s a great guy. He’s a good guy, but f**k the Lakers.”
Cuban still remembers the moment when Lakers GM Rob Pelinka came up to him after the trade, with a smug look of pure joy about bringing Doncic to Los Angeles.
“Rob just killed me. I took my son when the Mavs played the Lakers after the trade, and Rob comes up to say ‘Hi’ and he gives me that grin like he’s trying to hold it back,” Cuban added.
It’s no secret that Cuban was one of Doncic’s number one fans, and he rooted for the superstar at every turn. It was his regime that drafted him in 2018, and he was there as Doncic carried them to their first Finals appearance since 2011. It wasn’t until after he sold the team that the franchise moved on from Luka in a shocking deal with the Lakers.
Cuban acknowledges that he let the fans down by giving up control, but with the deal already done, there was nothing Cuban could do to reverse the decision. He watched as his team turned on Doncic, citing his poor conditioning and lazy work ethic as the primary motivators to move on from his contract.
Now, Doncic is on the enemy team, and Mark Cuban isn’t like the Dallas fans who will be secretly rooting for his success. He’s learned to “hate” Doncic (on the court) just because he wears the purple and gold.
For Cuban’s basketball fandom, the only thing stronger than his loyalty to Doncic is his loyalty to the Mavericks. His hatred for the Lakers is also a powerful force here, and it makes sense given his history with the franchise.
In the Dirk Nowitzki era, the Lakers were a constant stumbling block for the Mavericks, and they dominated both the court and the headlines like nobody else. Mark came to resent the Lakers, and he wasn’t on the best of terms with Kobe Bryant after saying they should amnesty the 5x champion late in his career.
So, while the Luka trade was a tough reality check for Cuban, he’s already treating Luka like the enemy and will be actively rooting for his Lakers team to fail. From prized superstar to exiled enemy, the relationship between Luka and the Mavs has changed drastically, and things will never be the same again.
Unfortunately for Cuban, the Lakers will almost certainly not go 0-82 next season, especially considering that Doncic is more focused and determined than he’s ever been to prove his former team wrong. If they ever meet in the playoffs, a Mavericks versus Lakers series will be must-watch TV.
