The father of NBA superstar Luka Doncic pulled no punches when sharing his thoughts on his son’s now-former team.
Like almost anyone in the basketball world, Sasa Doncic was shocked by the blockbuster trade that sent the five-time all-star from Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers early Sunday.
And he wasn’t happy about the way the deal went down in secret, or about some reports from within the organization as the guard went out the door.
Speaking with Arena Sport Slovenija, Sasa Doncic deemed the Mavericks’ treatment of his son in the wake of the shock blockbuster trade as “very unfair.”
“I understand there comes a moment when you disagree with a certain philosophy. You don’t like this or that player, all good, I get it. But I think that exactly this secrecy, or should I say from some individuals, maybe even hypocrisy, this hurts me personally,” Sasa said in the clip, which was translated from his native Slovenian.
“Because I think that Luka absolutely doesn’t deserve this. Giving the fact that at least, as I know, sacrificed himself enormously and even all the stories now that someone is releasing that he wants to apologize for the things that they’re doing. I feel like this is very unfair from some individuals because I know that Luka respected Dallas a lot. He respected the whole city, helped children.”
After news of the trade broke, ESPN reported that the Mavericks had a concern about Doncic’s conditioning and ability to reach his potential. It also was reported that his weight peaked at 270 pounds.
The point guard, who helped lead the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season, currently is sidelined with a calf injury that has kept him out since Christmas.
However, when he has played he has been spectacular — as per usual. Doncic is averaging 28.1 points per game this season along with 8.3 rebounds and 7.8 assists. Last year, he led the league with 33.9 points per game plus 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists.
“It wasn’t even a problem last year since, I am saying again, one individual said he’s not fit enough,” Sasa said. “That he played, I don’t know, 100 games, practically 40 minutes with two or three players constantly on him. That he was beaten and you say such things about him. I feel that this is very unfair from certain individuals. You traded him, stand by your actions but don’t look for excuses or alibis, that’s it.”
In the massive trade, the Mavericks got back all-star forward Anthony Davis, guard Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick from the Lakers, while also sending Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to L.A. To make the deal fully work, the Utah Jazz also received a second-round draft pick from Dallas, plus guard Jalen Hood Schifino and a second-round draft pick from the Lakers.