In the National Basketball Association (NBA), teams can make trades for players until the trade deadline. This year, that day landed on February 6. Just days before the deadline, fans and players around the league were astonished to learn that 25-year-old phenom Luka Dončić was shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers in a late night trade to join forces with LeBron James. In return, the Dallas Mavericks received Anthony Davis, Max Christie, along with a first-round pick in the 2029 NBA draft.
The lopsided trade sparked an online frenzy: why would the Mavericks agree to send away their franchise player with so little in return? According to the Mavericks star himself, Dončić was taken aback by the trade—much like the rest of the world. In a recent press conference, Dončić recalls the moment he found out about the trade, “I was almost asleep when I got the call, and I had to check to see if it was April 1. I didn’t believe it at first.” Dončić then went on to express his love for Dallas, and said “it was a big shock, it was a hard moment for me, it was home.”
For those who are unfamiliar with the star, Luka Dončić is a Slovenian basketball player who made a name for himself at a young age, due to his talent for the sport. After collecting impressive accolades in Slovenia, such as being named the MVP of the EuroLeague in the 2017-18 season, Dončić was drafted third overall in the 2018 NBA to the Dallas Mavericks– who just received the pick via a last-minute trade from the Atlanta Hawks. Upon having an eye-opening first year in the NBA, averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists, Dončić was named Rookie of the Year. In his following seasons with the team, Dončić's international appeal blossomed as he picked up remarkable achievements such as being named a five time NBA All-Star, 5x All-NBA First Team, and breaking the record for the most points scored in one season.
All of these titles were earned when Dončić was a part of the Mavericks community, and he even opened up to the media on his feelings towards the Mavericks: “I thought I was gonna stay my whole career there.”
Although this trade was abrupt to the NBA community, Dončić remains steadfast in his pursuit of a championship, vowing to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their 18th title. As for now, Dončić’s transition to the Lakers organization appears to be ideal. Fans throughout the world tuned in to watch his debut as a Laker, as they faced the Utah Jazz. The environment at Crypto.com Arena was ecstatic, as the atmosphere was full of energy. The fans, for their part, may have been witnessing history. Lakers guard Austin Reaves specifically noted Dončić’s resounding introduction, saying that his “introduction in the starting lineup was one of the loudest I've heard since I've been here.” In his debut, Dončić put up 14 points in 24 minutes, assisting the Lakers to their victory over the Jazz.
Dončić’s new teammate, none other than the legendary player LeBron James, expressed confidence and hopefulness for the future of the Lakers. When asked, James predicted that the addition of Dončić would “be a very seamless transition.”
With the NBA playoffs around the corner, stay tuned to see how the duo of LeBron and Luka play out, and if they have what it takes to raise banner 18 over the purple and gold seats.