Tuesday night’s basketball game featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks was of course no ordinary matchup in February. It was Luka Doncic’s first game against his former team since being traded from the Mavs to LA.
All eyes were on the 25-year-old. Will he destroy the team and subsequently hand Nico Harrison, the now-reviled trade architect, a slice of humble pie?
Many wanted to see Doncic do just that. Doncic reportedly has a newfound motivation from the trade, mainly stemming from leaks from the Mavs that he lacked discipline and self-control resulting in poor health and conditioning.
Despite not publicly commenting on the ongoing leaks from the Dallas Mavericks organization regarding his weight and conditioning, a source close to Dončić informed ESPN that these remarks have served as motivation for him. “A beast was awakened inside him,” the source remarked.
Luka Doncic’s Health History Will Lead To Catastrophe
This game did feature a noticeably slimmed-down Doncic, but according to Sam Amick, the Mavs were not concerned with the short term, but the long-term effects of an unmotivated player;
“Make no mistake, the people who witnessed Dončić’s last days in Dallas do not paint a flattering portrait of the 25-year-old’s professionalism. They call him lazy. They talk about the weight issues that were such a frequent frustration within their walls. They mention the social habits that The Athletic has reported on — such as a taste for beer and hookah — which have been a point of concern for NBA types since he was a 19-year-old star for Real Madrid who was entering the NBA Draft. They predict his basketball demise, highlighting a health history that, as some see it, will likely lead to catastrophe in the next five years or so.
Harrison’s personal journey adds an even deeper layer to the discussion; he rose to prominence as the trusted shoe representative for the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and, thus, clearly decided that Doncic didn’t fit the “Mamba Mentality” bill.“
In the short term, Doncic proved to be a quality star basketball player. Dončić secured his inaugural triple-double as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, contributing 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists. Throughout the game, he also displayed several instances of engaging and effective teamwork with LeBron James. Far from the thumping some wanted to see from the scorned partner
His believers will count this game as proof. His detractors want more evidence.