If things had worked out the way Luka Doncic wanted, Slovenia would have probably solved world hunger. Also, Doncic himself would have worn the Dallas Mavericks jersey to his grave. Unfortunately, despite averaging 28.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in the 422 games he featured in for the Mavs, all Doncic found in his bag was a thank-you note and a flight ticket to Los Angeles.
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Earlier last month, LA Lakers’ governor Jeanie Buss said that while the team’s leadership knew about the transfer, Doncic himself had been kept in the dark by the Mavs and consequently was heartbroken when he arrived at the purple and gold nation. Doncic himself had shared a heartfelt post with the Mavs faithful, claiming that he had wanted them to win the championship. Unfortunately, ifs and buts don’t amount to much.
Soon after he arrived at the Lakers, the Slovenian star also found multiple reports stating that his fitness, or apparent lack of it, was responsible for his unwarranted exile. So, during the off-season, Doncic decided to cut down on the carbs and dial up the time he spent on a treadmill. Having lost almost 30 lbs in the months since, he now hopes to be the star player that the Lakers hoped he would be when they signed him last season.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon has now claimed that while the trade was harsh, it has also forced the Slovenian star to grow up. “I think the slap in the face of the trade and the way it happened, the aftermath, that has been a big time wake-up call for Luka,” McMahon said.
“There have been flashes of his commitment, conditioning from Luka in the past,” he added, however, noting that, “this feels like something that is the turning of a corner.” That said, there are important questions yet to be asked.
“Can he maintain it through the course of the season? We’ll see. But you’re seeing maturation. Luka, the way he interacted and led a Slovenia team,” McMahon said, adding that while he always had leadership qualities but they had never been as evident as they were during the EuroBasket.
He contends that Luka never needed to be a leader in Dallas, he didn’t have to face the music with players like Kyrie Irving and Jalen Brunson on the team. MacMahon also added that he was impressed by the way the Slovenian star had worked with the Lakers’ front office.
“This is different than it was in Dallas. Certainly, the relationship with the Mavericks front office completely broke down … but this is a different approach by Luka,” he added.
Citing instances of Luka arguing with the referees, MacMahon noted that it was also tied to conditioning. If Doncic was getting exhausted, the refs were going to bear the brunt of it. He claims that now that Luka has better conditioning, those instances might also get toned down, although he can’t promise a complete halt.
MacMahon also commented on Doncic’s early days with the Mavericks when the impressionable Mark Cuban was at the helm, claiming that a 15-year-old Luka didn’t much care about anything else other than hooping.
While he does believe that the Lakers would take care of Doncic the same way Cuban did, the Slovenian star has since grown up and is looking to actively take an interest in how the team is run.
As a captain, he also went back to defend during the EuroBasket, even if he lost duels, instead of standing at the 3-point line like he had been reported doing earlier in his career.
Should Doncic fully embrace the responsibility that comes with being the face of a franchise, especially one like the Lakers, there’s no reason he cannot follow in the footsteps of the legendary LeBron James, who might no longer be in LA in a few months.
