Luka Doncic will return to Texas on Wednesday, April 9, for his first game against his Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center since that franchise unexpectedly traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in February.
Doncic was admittedly stunned and upset by the Mavericks’ call to trade him for Anthony Davis and took exception to the reasoning behind the decision. That reasoning included the idea that Doncic doesn’t work hard enough at his conditioning, which the Mavericks believe has affected his health in the past and might continue as a problem in the future.
While speaking to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times for a story that ran Wednesday, Doncic sent a strong message to his former team as well as any critics who agree with that assessment of his physical shape and the amount of effort he puts into maintaining it.
“I didn’t end up here by mistake, you know?” Doncic said. “I worked my ass off to be here. So it’s kinda, I would say, disrespectful — just sad that people say that.”
Luka Doncic Has Battled Weight Issues to Great Individual, Team Success in NBA
Doncic has struggled with his weight before, but has typically played himself into shape during the season in those campaigns where fitness was a concern.
Doncic earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2018-19 and then earned First-Team All-NBA honors in each of the next five seasons — a streak that will break this year, as a calf injury has sidelined Doncic for too many games and he is not eligible for such awards under new league rules.
The Mavericks made the call to trade Doncic while he was out with that calf injury, which robbed him of roughly six weeks. That is the 26-year-old star’s longest injury absence since joining the NBA.
They also did so just one year after Doncic led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. Dallas also earned a trip to the Western Conference Finals under the leadership of Doncic two years before the team’s 2024 Finals appearance.
Lakers Poised for Deep Playoff Run Behind Luka Doncic, LeBron James
GettyLos Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic.
Doncic came on somewhat slowly in Los Angeles, ramping up after his return to the court, which was interrupted shortly thereafter by the All-Star break.
However, Los Angeles has thrived since the pairing of Doncic and LeBron James and is currently No. 3 in the Western Conference playoff picture, even despite James going down for several games with a groin injury.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks have plummeted since trading Doncic. Davis suffered an injury in his first game with Dallas and only just recently returned. Star guard Kyrie Irving also tore his ACL shorty after Doncic’s exit.
The injury issues have pushed the Mavericks into 10th place in the West, which represents the final spot in the NBA’s Play-In Tournament on that side of the bracket. Dallas is likely to hold onto that position, as the Phoenix Suns, who are in 11th, trail the Mavericks by three games in the standings.
