Luka Doncic

Mavs GM gets clowned by Jordan Brand, Luka Doncic, Lakers fans & more in the first matchup since the worst trade in NBA history

Imagine being the GM who traded away a 25-year-old Luka Dončić. I sure as hell couldn’t. I’m still in total disbelief that Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison not only pulled the trigger on that deal but still has a job after it.

I’m not even a Mavericks fan, and I already can’t stand this guy. To be honest, I hadn’t even heard of him until recently. And the first thought that came to mind? He might actually be worse than Jerry Krause—the guy who did everything in his power to slow down the Bulls’ second three-peat in the ‘90s.

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The moment has finally arrived—Luka Doncic faced his former team for the first time since the blockbuster trade. It’s a bit of a letdown that this game happened in Los Angeles instead of Dallas, but that certainly didn’t take away from the drama. And on second thought, perhaps it’s for the better that this took place in Los Angeles, so that Nico Harrison had to sit in that arena and take in what a real basketball organization looks like.

While for the Lakers, this game would be just any other game, you could clearly tell they were playing with chips on their shoulders, trying to send a message. But, that didn’t jus take place during the game, in fact the Jordan Brand put out this sick commercial ahead of the game, which was clearly clowning Nico Harrison and the Dallas Mavericks.

Luka Doncic Jordan Brand commercial ahead of Lakers vs. Mavericks

Look, I can’t stand the Lakers—never have, never will—but even I have to admit, that promo was fire. The song choice? Perfect. The plate swap? Subtle but effective. And featuring his favorite supercar? Chef’s kiss. As a Sixers fan who is completely dead inside when it comes to my team, even this managed to bring a smile to my face.

The promo was far from the only thing that Mavs GM Nico Harrison got clowned in. In fact, Lakers fans took their fair share of jabs.

Luka-Nico Stare down

You just knew there was going to be some tension Tuesday night when the Lakers and Mavericks squared off for the first time since the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić to L.A.

Sure, there were plenty of handshakes and smiles before and after the game, but let’s not pretend like it was all love out there. Luka was locked in, dropping a casual 19-point, 15-rebound, 12-assist triple-double with three steals and two blocks—just stuffing the stat sheet for fun.

And while he might never say it out loud, the cameras don’t lie. That stare-down he gave Mavs GM Nico Harrison? Yeah, that told you everything you needed to know.

You want to know my response to this photo? As a content creator myself, I need to know who took this photo, because whoever did, deserves a raise. That is one of the coldest sports pictures I’ve ever seen. And honestly, it’s one that could age incredibly well for both Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers of course, ended up taking care of business in this game…

The Lakers grinded out a 107-99 win, with LeBron doing LeBron things—27 points, 12 boards, and three assists, just another night at the office. Kyrie tried to keep Dallas in it, dropping 35, while Klay added a solid 22. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis was still in street clothes after tweaking his injury in his Mavs debut because, well, of course he was.

But the real story? Luka made NBA history. According to StatMamba, he became the first player ever to drop a triple-double with at least five steals or blocks in his first game against his old squad. Talk about sending a message.

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