Legendary Mavericks coach Don Nelson to wear Luka Doncic's signature shoes as a sign of protest: "Dear friend"

The Dallas Mavericks trading away Luka Doncic will remain one of the most controversial moves by a franchise in NBA history. The move to give away a generational superstar was criticized by people across the league, including legendary NBA coach Don Nelson.

Former NBA coach Don Nelson led the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Golden State Warriors. According to Marc Stein, Nelson was named the winner of the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award on Sunday.

The legendary coach is set to be honored by the National Basketball Coaches Association and the Pacers' coach, Rick Carlisle, before Game 2 of the NBA Finals. However, for Nelson, it was also a time to make a statement and express his displeasure regarding the Mavericks' move to trade Luka Doncic.

Nelson said that he was planning to wear Jordan Luka 4s, a "tuxedo jacket, jeans and a trademark necklace of shells from the island of Ni'ihau," when he takes the court to receive the honor at Paycom Center.

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"Luka is my dear friend," Nelson said. "And to protest his being traded from the Mavericks to L.A., I'm going to wear a pair of his new shoes. I wanted to mention that. "My philosophy was always, when you've got a great player, he's yours for a lifetime. You don't get rid of great players. When that happened, I was pretty disappointed."

Don Nelson and his son Donnie Nelson played a big part in bringing Luka Doncic when the Mavs brought the draft rights from the Atlanta Hawks. During that time, Donnie Nelson was serving as the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite his five NBA championships as a player, Don Nelson's true legacy lies in coaching. He is still the second-winningest coach in NBA history with 1,335 victories, only behind Gregg Popovich's 1,422 wins. A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, Nelson also won three NBA Coach of the Year awards.

The Dallas Mavericks plan to work out with Cooper Flagg later this month

The Dallas Mavericks have been very public about their excitement to draft Cooper Flagg when they select their No. 1 draft pick on June 25. The Mavs front office seems very much invested in picking Flagg as their choice and becoming a playoff contender.

According to ESPN Insider Shams Charania, the Mavs have arranged a "private visit" for Flagg on June 17. Charania reported that Dallas isn't even considering other draft prospects and is solely focused on Flagg as their next superstar.

Edited by Alvin Amansec