- The Lakers introduced superstar Luka Doncic Tuesday. Doncic says he was shocked by the weekend trade that sent him from Dallas to Los Angeles.
- Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka called the trade “a seismic event in NBA history.”
- The Mavericks, meanwhile, welcomed center Anthony Davis, who could make his debut this weekend.
The Los Angeles Lakers introduced their newest superstar, Luka Doncic, on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka opened the press conference by calling the trade that brought Doncic to Los Angeles “a seismic event in NBA history.”
Pelinka and Doncic answered questions about the blockbuster trade for roughly 25 minutes –– shock being the prevailing feeling when Doncic discussed the move. He said he was nearly asleep when he got a call Saturday, Feb. 1, saying he had been traded after six and a half seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.
Point phone camera here
“Honestly, it was hard at first –– that first day was really hard. I felt like these last 48 hours was one month,” Doncic said. “Emotionally, it was really hard, but today was much better. This is the Lakers. It’s one of the best clubs in history, so I’m excited to be here.”
Doncic thought he would spend his entire career in Dallas and was eligible to sign a five-year, $345 million supermax extension with the franchise next offseason. That deal will not be available with the Lakers, but the Slovenian star will now pair up with LeBron James, a player the 25-year-old has idolized.
“It’s just like a dream comes true, you know. I always look up to him,” Doncic said. “There’s so many things I can learn from him, and I’m just excited, you know, just to learn everything, and now I get to play with him, so it’s an amazing feeling.”
As for the other side of the deal, Anthony Davis got the same type of call Doncic received on Saturday as he was settling in to watch a movie with his wife. Davis also said the trade was a shock, but after working out in Dallas Tuesday, Feb. 4, he’s ready to get to know his new teammates and make a playoff run.
“I think for the most part, just knowing these guys and knowing how hard they play, knowing how great they are defensively, you know, what I can bring to the defensive end and what I can bring to the offensive end as well,” Davis said.
Mavericks fans are not taking the deal nearly as well as Davis. A mock funeral was held in front of the American Airlines Center over the weekend. The team has also had to dispel rampant online rumors that the organization is dismantling the roster to prepare the franchise to move to Las Vegas. The team is owned by Miriam Adelson, whose Las Vegas Sands corporation is based there.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Sign up for the newsletter today!
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
Neither Doncic nor Davis are quite healthy enough to make an on-court debut for their new teams yet. For Davis, who has a mild abdominal strain, that could happen before their weekend matchup in New York. Doncic hasn’t played since Christmas because of a calf strain, but he is close to a return. He will participate in 5-on-5 workout practice Wednesday, Feb. 5, while the Lakers plan for his debut afterward.
Lakers General Manager Rob Pelinka opened his press conference Tuesday by calling the trade that brought Luka Doncic to LA “a seismic event in NBA history.”
Not many are going to argue with him at this point.
Pelinka introduced Doncic as the newest Laker Tuesday and the pair answered questions about the mega-trade for about 25 minutes. The prevailing feeling about the move from Doncic was clearly shock. He was nearly asleep when he got the call Saturday that he had been traded after 6 and a half seasons in Dallas.
“Honestly, it was hard at first, that first day was really hard. I felt like these last 48 hours was one month. Emotionally, it was really hard, but today was much better. This is the Lakers. It’s one of the best clubs in history, so I’m excited to be here.”
Doncic says he thought that he would spend his entire career in Dallas. He was eligible to sign a five-year $345 million supermax extension with the franchise next offseason. That said, he’ll now pair up with LeBron James, a player the 25 year old has idolized.
“it’s just like a dream comes true you know uh I always look up to him uh there’s so many learn there’s so many things I can learn from him and I’m just excited you know uh just to learn everything and now I get to play with him so it’s an amazing feeling”
And for the player on the other side of the deal, Anthony Davis, the call he got Saturday was also a shock but he said after working out in Dallas Tuesday, he’s ready to get to know his new teammates and make a playoff run.
“I think for the most part, just knowing these guys and knowing how hard they play, knowing how great they are defensively, you know what I can bring to the defensive end and, uh, what I can bring to the offensive end as well.”
Mavericks fans are not taking the deal nearly as well as Davis. A mock funeral was held in front of the American Airlines Center over the weekend. The team has also had to dispel rampant rumors online that the organization is dismantling the roster in order to move to Las Vegas. The team is owned by Miriam Adelson whose Las Vegas Sands corporation is based there.
Conspiracy theories aside, neither Doncic or Davis are healthy enough to make their on-court debut for their new teams quite yet. For AD that should happen by the weekend and the Lakers say it won’t be much longer for Luka either.
For Straight Arrow News, I’m Chris Francis.
Straight to your inbox.
By entering your email, you agree to the Terms & Conditions and acknowledge the Privacy Policy.
