I was at a party when the news broke, and I saw people, who didn’t shed a tear when their long term girlfriend broke up with them, fall to their knees and cry. And it wasn’t just a few people– the notification from Shams was like a gut punch to the entire city.
“What is happening?” “No way!”
“We traded Luka?!”
I didn’t believe it. I didn’t want to. At the moment, nobody else was reporting it. He had to have gotten hacked, right? Sources. I wanted sources, just something to give me hope, to wake me up, to tell me it wasn’t real. But as each moment ticked away, this fun night devolved into a community nightmare.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic had just been traded to the Lakers in one of the most shocking — and quite frankly one of the worst — trades in NBA history.
Seven months ago, we all watched the Mavs take on the Celtics together. Now, the same guy who took the city to the promised land, is on his way to Beverley Hills.
I remember when he hit the buzzer-beater against the Clippers in the bubble and when he drained the game winner over Rudy Gobert last year, sending the Timberwolves home. But the one constant through all of it– I was never watching alone– my friends were next to me the whole time. Each game felt like the entire fanbase was on the couch next to me.
Dallas is a sports city. And as a sports fan, these last few years have been beyond sweet, to say the least. The Cowboys have been decent and the Stars, Rangers and Mavs have all made it to the championship recently. But after some questionable hiring moves from the Cowboys, bad free agency losses from the Rangers, and now this– it seems like it’s all gone.
Dirk was in the twilight of his career when the kid showed up, but after watching him play, he knew that if he retired, the team would be in good hands. Luka started a renaissance for basketball in Dallas– we couldn’t get enough of the guy who looked like a dad knocking-down mystical step-backs against the world’s best athletes. And when the playoffs rolled around, the city turned blue. It didn’t matter if we had tests the next day or practices in the morning, Luka magic was must-see TV.
I know star players leave, it’s just part of sports– but this is different. When Kevin Durant left OKC, he was a free agent and wanted out, so everyone knew there was a chance he didn’t come back. Or, James Harden, a beloved superstar in Houston, but everyone knew he was ready to move on by the end. Now this, this is insane. There wasn’t a disagreement. He wasn’t a free agent. He didn’t even ask for a trade. Luka, himself, didn’t want to go. And I know, for a fact, that the entire city isn’t ready to watch basketball without him.