Luka Doncic Shares True Feelings on Dallas Mavericks Firing Nico Harrison: "I thought I was gonna stay there forever"

Luka Doncic returned to the court on Wednesday night for the first time since the Dallas Mavericks fired Nico Harrison as general manager on Tuesday. After the LA Lakers fell to the OKC Thunder, Doncic was naturally asked about the happenings in Dallas.

Harrison infamously sent Doncic to the Lakers in a shocking mid-season trade during the 2024-2025 campaign. Even though the trade is still fresh, Doncic chose not to criticize Harrison. Instead, he was calm, reflecting his years in Dallas with appreciation.

“The city of Dallas, fans, players, they're all have a special place in my heart,” Doncic said. “I thought I was gonna stay there forever. But I didn't. So they'll always be a special place for me, always I can call it home. But right now, I'm focused on the Lakers, trying to move on. But obviously, always gonna be part of me in there. Just trying to move on and focus on what we're doing.”

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Luka Doncic did not close the door on returning to Dallas at some point later in his career, but for now, he is choosing to focus on the present. At the moment, he is guiding the Purple & Gold to an 8-4 start, averaging 34.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game.

Luka Doncic criticizes near triple-double performance in loss vs Thunder

The OKC Thunder were the heavy favorites to defeat the Lakers at Paycom Center on Wednesday, but the result surprised everyone. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and co. blew LA out 121-92.

Luka Doncic finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists, but he felt the team fell short of what they were capable of, including himself. His shooting night was rough at 35% from the field and 14.3% from three.

“I think we need to be more ready. Obviously, it starts with me. I need to be way better than that,” Doncic said.

Looking ahead, he pointed to two key things he wants from his teammates after reflecting on the loss.

“Physical and energy. We’ve got to start the game better,” Doncic said. “When we start physical, any games, we do a pretty good job on playing the 48 minutes. When we start sloppy, it’s not our game.”

The Lakers will continue their four-game road trip, with their next matchup coming Friday against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.

Edited by Advait Jajodia