EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (news agencies) — Luka Doncic was nearly asleep last Saturday night in Dallas when his phone buzzed. Only then did he learn that the Mavericks had just stunned the sports world by trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“You can imagine how surprised I was,” Doncic said. “I had to check if it was April 1. I didn’t really believe it.”
The superstar has begun to recover after his first two days in LA, and he’s growing increasingly excited about a new chapter with LeBron James and his famed new team on the sunny West Coast.
And while his past and future teammates say Doncic has never lacked motivation to be great, he has all the fuel he’ll ever need after the Mavericks inherently questioned his talent and determination by making this seismic trade.
“It was a big shock,” Doncic said. “(Dallas) was home, so it was really hard moments for me. … (But now) I get to play in the greatest club in the world, and I’m excited for this new journey.”
The Lakers formally welcomed Doncic on Tuesday, less than three days after they traded Anthony Davis and Max Christie in a three-team deal for the Slovenian scorer who won his first scoring title last season before leading the Mavs to the NBA Finals. Doncic is a five-time All-NBA selection and a five-time All-Star.
Stars of Doncic’s age and accomplishments are almost never traded in any sport, and particularly not in such an abrupt manner. But when Dallas decided to move on from its 25-year-old centerpiece, the Lakers eagerly gave up Davis — one of basketball’s best big men — to make it happen.
Doncic is still processing the upheaval, but he already is seeing the limitless upside of a career in Los Angeles that will begin alongside the 40-year-old James, the top scorer in NBA history.
“Honestly, it was hard at first,” Doncic said. “That first day was really hard. I felt like these last 48 hours was one month. Emotionally, it was really hard, but today was much better. This is the Lakers. It’s one of the best clubs in history, so I’m excited to be here.”
General manager Rob Pelinka didn’t hide his glee at landing Doncic when they met with the media at the Lakers’ training complex. In his typically florid style of discourse, Pelinka said Doncic’s arrival would bring “basketball joy to the world.”
“We have one of the game’s biggest superstars and an international player coming to join the Lakers,” Pelinka said. “I think it’s going to be something incredibly special that the NBA and basketball has never seen before.”
Although James was blindsided by the deal along with the rest of the NBA, he quickly made a call to Doncic to welcome him to the Lakers. Doncic has often described James as his idol.
“It’s just like a dream come true,” Doncic said. “I always looked up to him. There’s so many things I can learn from him, and I’m just excited to learn everything and get to play with him. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Doncic hasn’t played since Christmas because of a calf strain, but he is close to a return. He will participate in 5-on-5 work at practice Wednesday, and the Lakers will make a plan for Doncic’s debut afterward.
The Lakers have four games in the Los Angeles area in the next seven days, with a road game against the Clippers on Tuesday night followed by three straight home games.
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