LeBron James assumed it was “a hoax.”
Even after he finished a video call with Anthony Davis, James said the Lakers’ NBA-altering trade sending Davis to Dallas for Luka Doncic did not seem real.
“It still pretty much didn’t seem real until I saw Luka today and then I saw a clip of AD at the Dallas shootaround,” James said after his Lakers’ win over the Clippers on Tuesday. “That’s when it finally hit me, like, ‘Oh s–t, this is real.’”
The comments were James’ first since the Lakers acquired Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris and sent Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick to the Mavericks over the weekend in a three-team deal also involving the Jazz.
James, 40, said he was out to dinner in New York after the Lakers’ win over the Knicks on Saturday when he learned of the blockbuster.
“I’ve seen it all, up until this one,” said James, a 22-year NBA veteran. “I’ve never been part of a transaction like that. That was different.”
The trade shook the NBA, with most of the shock centering on Dallas’ willingness to part with Doncic, who, at 25, already boasts five first-team All-NBA selections and led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals only eight months ago.
On Sunday, Dallas general manager Nico Harrison cited the defensive prowess of the 31-year-old Davis, a 10-time All-Star, as a reason for the trade, but he also said the Mavericks “got out in front of what could have been a tumultuous summer.”
Doncic has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract and, had he not been traded, would have been eligible this offseason for a supermax contract of $345 million over five years.
The acquisition of the play-making Doncic gave the Lakers a new franchise cornerstone, but it naturally led to questions about his ability to coexist with James, who is similarly ball-dominant.
“If I had concerns about it, I’d waive my no-trade clause and get up out of here,” James said. “I’m here right now. I’m here right now. I’m committed to the Lakers organization.”
James described Doncic as his “favorite player in the NBA for a while now.”
“As the leader of the team, as one of the captains of the team, it’s my job to make it as seamless as possible,” James said.
The trade also stunned Doncic, who on Tuesday expressed excitement to play with the Lakers but reiterated he had expected to spend his entire career in Dallas.
“That’s their decision, so I have no comment on that,” Doncic said of the Dallas front office during an introductory press conference. “They made a decision. I don’t know why. But that’s their decision, so I can’t do nothing about it.”
Doncic said he never indicated any unwillingness to sign a supermax extension — a sentiment Harrison expressed as well.
Davis, who similarly described being “in shock,” joins a Dallas team also headlined by Kyrie Irving.
“You just don’t imagine you’re going to get ready to go to sleep and then you find out news like that,” Irving said Tuesday night, before adding of Doncic, “It’s still a grieving process right now. I miss my hermano.”
Doncic has not played since Christmas due to a calf strain, while Davis has missed the past week with an abdominal strain. Both are expected to debut with their new teams soon.
The Lakers (29-19) began Wednesday as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference, while the Mavericks (26-25) ranked 11th.