Much has been made about the role Luka Dončić’s conditioning allegedly played in the blockbuster trade that sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers before the NBA trade deadline.
So when video of Dončić getting in some pregame push-ups in full view of the Dallas Mavericks went viral, some jumped to conclusions about the new Lakers star’s intentions. In reality, the push-ups were a punishment for missing a half-court shot, per Arash Markazi.
That’s how heightened the scrutiny has become over the trade, as Mavericks GM Nico Harrison has faced intense backlash from Dallas fans over the move. The Mavericks reportedly increased security after Harrison received death threats and “Fire Nico” chants were rampant.
During Tuesday night’s 107-99 Lakers win over the Mavs, fans inside Crypto.com Arena chanted, “Thank you, Nico!” as Dončić posted his first triple-double as a Laker (19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists).
Harrison got it from all sides on Tuesday night, with some Mavs fans in attendance making their opinions known before the game.
After the game, Dončić was measured in response to questions about what it was like to play his old team for the first time, though he clearly was amped to perform — he stared down the Mavericks bench after making his one and only 3-pointer of the game.
“The closure is going to take awhile, I think,” Dončić said after the game. “I don’t know, it’s just not ideal. Like I said, I’m glad this game is over. There was a lot of emotions. It will go, little by little. Every day is better.”
Time may heal all wounds, but the saga will surely ratchet up again when the Lakers travel to Dallas on April 9 for one of their final regular-season games.
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