Luka Doncic’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers was a moment no one saw coming. The 26-year-old superstar opened up in an interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews about the emotions he felt when the news broke. In a candid moment, Doncic shared that he smashed his phone after learning of the trade but continued to use it, as it still worked.
“I hung up and I threw it,” Doncic said, showing off the cracked back side of the phone. Despite the damage, he conceded, “Yeah, still works.”
“I was actually in bed. My TV wasn’t working, so I was on an iPad watching a movie, about to go to sleep,” Doncic recalled. “Then LB called me and told me. I was in shock. I just kept asking, ‘Is this April 1st?’ I couldn’t believe it.”
The Slovenian guard admitted that he spent most of the night in a daze, struggling to process the situation. “I was just sitting on the couch, just trying to get my mind around it. I felt like my heart was broken.”
Doncic also reflected on the immediate aftermath of the trade and his emotional return to Dallas. His first game back in his old city was a whirlwind, filled with mixed emotions. “I was actually excited. I still have a house in Dallas, so I slept in my own bed. I knew I was going to see a lot of great people I’d spent six years with.”
Despite the chaos, Doncic was able to focus on basketball and put up an impressive 45-point performance, which he later ranked as one of his best. “I would say top one,” he said. “It was so special. The love from the fans, the teammates – it was something I had never experienced before.”
Doncic also shared his sentiments about his time in Dallas, expressing gratitude for his journey there. “I gave everything to that franchise,” he said. “I played through injuries, never asked for much. I was drafted by them when I was 18, and they gave me an opportunity.”
However, as he transitioned to the Lakers, Doncic made it clear that his loyalty remained rooted in basketball, not just a single franchise. “Loyalty is to the basketball first,” he explained. “I’m happy to be here, and this is the team I want to be with for the rest of my NBA career.”
When asked about the criticisms of his conditioning that emerged from his time in Dallas, Doncic took the high road. “It bothers me, of course,” he said. “But if what they were saying were true, I wouldn’t be here, playing for the Lakers.”
As he adjusts to his new role with the Lakers, Doncic has also been learning to embrace his new identity as part of the storied franchise. “L.A. Laker Luka, does that still sound a little bit weird to you?” Andrews asked. Doncic replied, “A little bit, not much. I’m getting used to it. Every once in a while, I still have to catch myself.”
In the midst of his personal growth, Doncic has also found strength in the emotional moments that have marked his journey, such as his emotional return to Dallas. “I tried not to be emotional, but when I saw that shot I made over Rudy Gobert in the Western Conference Finals, I couldn’t help it,” he said.
The trade may have caught Doncic off guard, but he is now focused on his future with the Lakers. “It’s a new chapter. I’m ready for what’s next,” he said.
