Lakers Fan Jayden Daniels Gives a Selfish Reaction to the Mavs Trading Luka Doncic

It’s been four days since the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, yet the shockwaves of the move are still reverberating across the NBA world. While Mavs fans remain in disbelief, one group couldn’t be happier for obvious reasons—Lakers fans. And at the forefront of their celebration is none other than Jayden Daniels, who wasted no time sharing his reaction—one that, unsurprisingly, was all about how his team just hit the jackpot.

During an appearance on Scoop City, the Commanders QB admitted that, like all of us, even he was taken aback by the trade. But the shock quickly turned to joy—“I mean, we got Luka,” said Daniels.

At 25, the Slovenian has already been earmarked as the greatest European basketball player of all time. Add to this, his 5 back-to-back All-NBA First Team Selections, last year’s NBA Scoring Champion award, and the Lakers have secured a future leader in the making—one can take over as soon as LeBron James retires. For Daniels, this couldn’t be a more sensational trade from a Lakers fan’s perspective.

“I was surprised. I didn’t believe it at first, but I mean, selfishly, I’m happy. I mean, we got Luka! Obviously, everybody has seen what he has done at such a young age. So I’m excited,” Daniels said.

As things stand, no one has understood why the Mavericks agreed to this trade. Like most, even Daniels is searching for an answer to this question. But at the same time, he couldn’t care less. For the Commanders’ rookie, watching Luka ball out live in a Lakers game is all that’s on his mind.

“I don’t know. I asked the same question (when the trade news surfaced) but I’m not complaining, man. I’m just trying to go to the Lakers game real soon!”

Despite the magnanimous praise for Dončic, the Slovenian NBA star is not Daniels’ favorite player. For the Commanders QB, no one is greater than Lakers and NBA legend Kobe Bryant!

Kobe Bryant—Jayden Daniels’ biggest inspiration

Growing up as a Lakers fan, it’s nearly impossible not to end up being the biggest Kobe Bryant stan. Jayden Daniels was no different. A Fontana, California native, he was mesmerized by Bryant’s 5 Championship victories with the Lakers. And, as the LSU alum got older, he began appreciating Kobe even more for his no-nonsense Mamba Mentality.

“When I was a kid, I fell in love with his game and who he was. As I got older, I fell in love with his mentality and how he approached the game—he never cut corners, he took everything seriously, and he gave it his all every time he was on the court…”

Be it Jayden Daniels’ openness to VR training or his calmness under pressure, it’s clear how much of an impact Kobe Bryant had on the Commanders QB. If he continues his debut season exploits with the Mamba Mentality, we might genuinely be looking at the next big thing in sports!