Luka Doncic’s dad slams Mavericks for ‘hypocrisy’ after team traded his son to Lakers: ‘Don’t look for excuses’
After his son was the focal point of a blockbuster trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, the father of Luka Doncic is hitting back at the front office of the Dallas Mavericks.
Doncic was moved from Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for star big man Anthony Davis, among other players.
It’s a shocking move that continues to send shockwaves throughout the sports world nearly 24 hours after it was announced.
Since it’s been announced, rumors as to why the Mavericks could have traded Doncic have started to bubble to the surface – including one which suggested the Dallas front office was unhappy with weight that the guard had put on.
Sasa Doncic, Luka’s father, addressed these rumors and called out the Mavericks front office for ‘hypocrisy’ after moving on from him.
‘I understand there comes a moment when you disagree with a certain philosophy. You don’t like this or that player, all good, I get it,’ he said on Slovenian television.
The world of sports continues to react to the Dallas Mavericks trading away guard Luka Doncic
The Mavericks dealt Doncic (77) to the Lakers in exchange for big man Anthony Davis (3)
Luka’s father, Sasa (L) called the Mavericks front office out for perceived ‘hypocrisy’
‘But I think that exactly this secrecy, or should I say from some individuals maybe even hypocrisy, this hurts me personally because I think that Luka absolutely doesn’t deserve this – given the fact at least, as I know, [he] sacrificed himself enormously.
‘And even all the stories now that someone is releasing that he wants to apologize for the things that they’re doing – I feel like this is very unfair from some individuals.
‘Because I know that Luka respected Dallas a lot. He respected the whole city of Dallas, helped children, it was never a problem for him to go to hospitals and to, I don’t know, orphanages and to all these charity events.
‘It wasn’t even a problem last year since… I am saying again, one individual said he’s not fit enough.
‘He played, I don’t know, 100 games – practically 40 minutes [a night] with 2, 3 players on him. That he was beaten. And you say such things about him.
‘I feel that this is very unfair from certain individuals. You traded him. Stand by your actions, but don’t look for excuses or alibis.’
Doncic’s move has shocked many throughout the league – including journalists, fans, fellow front office executives, and even NBA players themselves.
That includes Kevin Durant – who was seen reacting to the trade while he was sitting on the bench during a Phoenix Suns game.
Mavericks fans pass the arena with a coffin in protest of a recent trade the team made Sunday
A majority of Mavericks fans have been angered by this trade made by the franchise
A small gathering of Mavericks fans were seen outside the American Airlines Center on Sunday afternoon holding a fake funeral to protest the trade.
Reports indicated that Doncic wasn’t interested in forcing his way out of the Mavericks – but Dallas GM Nico Harrison was motivated to make a change.
‘I believe that defense wins championships,’ Harrison told ESPN concerning his motivation to trade Doncic for Davis.
‘I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.’
On Sunday evening, Doncic released a statement addressing the trade to his social media accounts.
It read, in part, ‘I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship. The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of.’
After releasing that statement to Mavericks fans, Doncic then quote tweeted the official announcement from the Lakers saying he was joining their franchise.
‘Grateful for this amazing opportunity. Basketball means everything to me, and no matter where I play the game, I’ll do so with the same joy, passion and goal – to win championships,’ his tweet said.
