When Luka Doncic was traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers, the move was met with plenty of criticism from those who felt that Dallas made an irreversible mistake.
Legendary head coach Don Nelson, who coached the Mavericks from 1997 to 2005, agrees with those critics.
The second-winningest head coach in NBA history was in Oklahoma City to receive the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Basketball Coaches Association. There, he not only talked about the successes he had as a coach and the experiences he had along the way, but he also took the time to quip about the controversial Luka Doncic trade by pointing out his sneaker selection for the night.
“As a matter of fact, I want everybody to know I’m wearing Luka’s shoes, his new shoes from Nike, just got on the market. I’m wearing them in protest for the trade from Dallas,” Nelson said.
“I think it was a tremendous mistake by the Dallas franchise to trade him, and I want everybody to know that.”
Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in February in exchange for Anthony Davis and Max Christie, just eight months removed from an appearance in the NBA Finals the season prior.
Naturally, the move left NBA fans both stunned and confused. As if the ferocious “Fire Nico!” chants — in reference to Mavericks GM Nico Harrison — from unhappy Mavericks fans weren’t bad enough, Nelson’s vocal, and visible, displeasure with the franchise he spent eight years as a part of is sure to leave yet another sour taste in Dallas’ mouth.
