The Luka Doncic commerce to the Los Angeles Lakers in February shocked the NBA world, and much more so, it shocked Luka himself.
Staff proprietor Jeanie Buss now says the famous person’s response was not like something she has ever seen.
“No one knew the commerce was going to occur,” Buss instructed Radio 1 throughout a cease on her EuroBasket journey to observe Doncic play for Slovenia within the 2025 summer time competitors. “I knew, however he didn’t know. I’ve by no means had a participant come to the Lakers and be as unhappy as he was, as a result of the commerce was such an enormous shock to him.”
Buss defined that the 26-year-old wanted time to come back to phrases with leaving Dallas, the one NBA house he had recognized (to not point out his solely house within the USA after being drafted / traded there in 2018).
“He’s an actual particular person, and he needed to course of what occurred,” Buss mentioned. “[However,] I feel now he’s embraced the Lakers – and he’s all about L.A.”
Buss additionally pointed to a deeper connection between Doncic and the Lakers, one tied to the late Kobe Bryant.
“The final time I noticed Kobe Bryant alive, he introduced his daughter Gianna to the Lakers sport to see Luka play, as a result of Luka was Gianna’s favourite participant,” Buss mentioned. “So that they have at all times been linked not directly, and I knew that if the chance to have someone like Luka on the Lakers, then it will all work out.”
The deal that introduced Doncic to Los Angeles has been described as one of the crucial stunning in league historical past.
Whereas critics in Dallas pointed to questions on Doncic’s conditioning and long-term sturdiness, the Lakers have labored laborious this offseason to spotlight his rejuvenated type. EuroBasket, the place Doncic is as soon as once more main Slovenia, supplies the proper stage to showcase that.