Rapper Ice Cube is a lifelong Los Angeles Lakers fan and was thrilled, like the rest of the fan base, when the team acquired Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks. It was a stunning trade, but Cube stated during an appearance on the Lakers Nation Bench Mob Show that while he was shocked, he wasn't surprised it happened.
"The Lakers are amazing when it comes to this kind of stuff," Cube said. "... They always somewhat get their man. This has been happening before I was even paying attention as much with Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. So, it's what the Lakers do.
"Bringing in [Shaquille O'Neal] and Kobe [Bryant] at the same time, even though we didn't know Kobe was that kind of player when he first came in," Cube stated. "But Lakers always do it.
"Bringing in LeBron [James], even bringing in Pau Gasol, bringing in [Anthony Davis]," Cube continued. "When we got him, it was somewhat of a steal because we ended up getting a championship out of that. Even though we let go of some great players. But Lakers always do it, so I was shocked, but I wasn't surprised."
It's true that over the years, the Lakers have found ways to land a big star via free agency or trade. There was one significant difference, though, between those moves in the past and this Doncic trade in February.
The likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pau Gasol, and Anthony Davis were all looking to leave their respective teams. Doncic, on the other hand, wasn't. He was content in Dallas, and that's what made this move so surprising. This wasn't a case of a superstar forcing a move but a team bizarrely opting to ship one out of town.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison also offered Doncic to the Lakers in secrecy. No other team even knew that the five-time All-Star was potentially available. With no bidding war involved, the Lakers only had to give up Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick for Doncic. It was an underwhelming haul.
A big reason why the Mavericks reportedly traded Doncic was concerns regarding his long-term health. His conditioning wasn't great, and there were fears his body might break down. Harrison was also said not to be keen on giving Doncic a supermax extension because of his habits on and off the court.
Well, Doncic has eased those fears with his actions this offseason. The 26-year-old has a new diet regimen and looks noticeably slimmer. Doncic has reportedly lost 31 pounds thanks to his diet and workouts, and Cube was asked about this offseason transformation.
"He did what he's supposed to do as a professional athlete," Cube said. "And he don't want that to be the reason, if you lose a game, everybody looking at that. He wanted to be all about his play. Shows that he's serious.
"He understands where he's at, so to speak," Cube added. "Not in Dallas anymore, in Los Angeles. So, the expectations are very high and he gotta win a championship here to really be able to exhale in Los Angeles."
Doncic's conditioning and struggles on defense were a big talking point after the Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated the Lakers in the first round of the 2025 playoffs. He appears determined to ensure that won't be the case moving forward. The Lakers certainly believe in Doncic, having signed him to a three-year, $165 million extension.
