Dallas Mavericks executive spills beans on exact moment team gave up on Luka Doncic

The Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers in February. The move shocked the entire community because it occurred very suddenly, involving Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick.

Now we know exactly when the front office turned on their superstar. An anonymous executive said that the franchise lost faith in Doncic because of how he reacted after losing in the Finals.

Luka Doncic failed Kobe Bryant-level obsession test in Mavericks

ESPN's Jorge Sedano revealed that a Mavericks executive compared Doncic's mentality to Kobe Bryant's after championship defeats. According to the executive’s statement, the comp didn't go well for the Slovenian superstar since he was in no way close to Bryant. 

The executive told Sedano about witnessing Bryant's reaction after losing to the Celtics in 2008. “I remember that when they were playing the song when the Celtics won the championship, whatever song they were playing in the arena, Kobe would literally use that song in his workouts every day,” Sedano shared about what the source told him.  

That obsession fueled back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. Jason Kidd's squad wanted that same fire from Doncic after the Celtics stomped Dallas in four out of five games in the 2024 NBA finals.

The source also referenced LeBron James after the 2011 Finals loss to Dallas, noting how James went into a "deep funk of reflection" that changed his whole conditioning program and mental approach.

Mavs hoped the Finals embarrassment would flip a switch in Doncic and give him a push. But “he came back in the same shape, arguably in worse shape than he did the prior season. And that’s kind of when" the franchise knew their pairing with Doncic was not going to work.

"That's when the conversations began," the executive told Sedano.

The Mavericks had longstanding frustrations about Doncic's diet and conditioning habits, with his weight reportedly ballooning to the high 260s early in the 2024-25 season. 

For the unversed, HC was reportedly critical of Doncic's fitness before the trade. But the 26-year-old kept showing up heavy, and then his habit of blaming others after a loss became somewhat frustrating for fans as well. 

However, this is half of the story. The Mavericks are now 3-10 this season without him, and the Lakers are 9-4 with him. Fans can debate whether the Maverick system has some flaws. 

Doncic got significantly fitter over the summer and is putting up MVP-caliber numbers in LA. He's already etched his name in Lakers history alongside Bryant with multiple scoring streaks. 

The irony's thick enough. The Mavs wanted Kobe-level obsession but traded Doncic before he found it. Now he's thriving in Kobe's old building, wearing the purple and gold.

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