Doncic’s recent admission will break Mavs fans’ hearts
The former Dallas player has spoken about the current state of the Mavs, a team going through a rough patch.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Luka Doncic’s departure from the Dallas Mavericks left cracks so deep within the fabric of the team and the city itself that they ultimately cost Nico Harrison his job as president of basketball operations and general manager.
It was back in January when Harrison first approached Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka with the idea of trading Doncic; the move to the Lakers was approved and hit the NBA like a wrecking ball, creating arguably the biggest shockwaves the sport has seen this century.
Incredulity turned red as the sinking feeling of the loss of their star sent fans into an angry spiral, who protested wildly at the decision from the board, Harrison at the centre of the accusations.
He is now gone, too, losing his job this week amid a crisis that started way before Doncic left but was exacerbated infinitely by the situation surrounding him. Now at the Lakers the 26-year-old has new challenges to face, but he still looks back fondly on his time in blue and white.
BREAKING: The Dallas Mavericks and owner Patrick Dumont are expected to fire general manager Nico Harrison at a 10 am central time meeting on Tuesday, sources tell me and Tim MacMahon. pic.twitter.com/8ipXrhmvR9
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 11, 2025
“I thought I was going to stay there forever”
Speaking in the aftermath of L.A.’s 121-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night, Doncic was asked for his thoughts on the sacking: “The city of Dallas, the fans, the players, they’ll always have a special place in my heart,” he said before revealing that “I thought I was going to stay there forever, but I didn’t. So, that will always be a special place for me. I will always call it home.
“But right now, I’m focused on the Lakers and trying to move on. But obviously, always there will be a part of me there. But just trying to move on and focus on what I’m doing here.”
Of course, such an admission shocked reporters, with one quickly following up as to whether or not Harrison’s removal from his position in the Dallas structure was a factor for a possible return. Doncic’s response left a lot of room for imagination: “Right now, I’m just focused on the Lakers,” Doncic said. “No further comments.”
On the loss to the Thunder, Doncic said that it “definitely wasn’t our best game,” adding quickly that it was “probably one of the worst this season, but they did a great job. I think they all did a great job on me. They’re champions for a reason, so they showed that today. I think we need to be more ready. Obviously, it starts with me. I need to be way better than that and just got to figure [it] out.”
“Right now I’m just focused on the Lakers. No further comments.” - Luka Doncic when asked if he could ever see himself playing for Dallas again, now that Nico Harrison was dismissed. pic.twitter.com/rJr4xoslGb
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 13, 2025
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The next game for the Los Angeles Lakers is on Friday, 14 November 2025, at 5:00 PM PST, against the New Orleans Pelicans. The matchup will take place at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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