April Fools came early this year, or so we all thought. Late on Feb. 1, the Dallas Mavericks traded superstar Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis.
Basketball fans worldwide needed medical attention because of how hard their jaws fell on the floor.
The trade was so sudden and shocking that NBA stars and reporters were left questioning its occurrence. Even Dončić and Davis, the two players involved in the trade, shared disbelief. The world has never seen a sports trade of this magnitude, and I believe that it is as nonsensical as it is unprecedented.
The general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, Nico Harrison, initiated the decision to trade the NBA stars. Harrison claimed he had growing doubts due to Dončić’s increasing weight, which allegedly affected his conditioning. He said he traded Dončić for a multitude of reasons.
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Harrison said in an ESPN interview, referring to the All-Defensive champion Anthony Davis.
Harrison’s decision riled up Mavericks fans because Dončić, a 25-year-old MVP-caliber player, took the Mavericks to the finals just last season. Dončić also led the league in points per game and had a historic 73-point performance (the fourth highest ever), all last season.
Even though Davis is a phenomenal player who complements the Mavericks’ roster, Dallas just let go of their franchise player. Making matters worse, Anthony Davis is 31 years old and injury-prone, leaving very little room for success in Dallas’s future.
Fans everywhere have shared their disbelief and anger. Junior computer science major and avid Mavericks fan George Khawas shared his initial reaction to the trade.
“The trade came out of nowhere,” Khawas said. “It felt like someone ripped my heart straight out of my chest. Although Anthony Davis is a great player, Luka was our player, and this just does not feel right.”
Dončić has yet to make his Laker debut, but the fans in Los Angeles wait in anticipation for his first game.
Meanwhile, in Dallas, people are still shocked, and it may take more than just wins to repair the broken trust between the Mavericks and their fans.
