Not Dallas, not Slovenia: Sasa Doncic says Luka is right where he needs to be 

It took a while for Luka Doncic to get over Dallas trading him. It took a while for basketball fans to get used to seeing Luka in Lakers purple and gold. It’s going to get even longer for Dallas to forgive Nico Harrison for making the trade.

Sasa: my son didn’t deserve trade

Almost two months later, Luka seems to have moved on from the shocking deal that sent him out of Dallas, and now he looks like he’s loving life in Los Angeles. That wasn’t always the case. In his first few games as a Lakers, Luka’s body language painted a picture of someone who was still hurt by the midseason mega deal orchestrated by the only team and city he’s known since he was drafted.

Shortly after the trade, Luka’s dad, Sasa chimed in, “With this trade, hypocrisy [from Mavs organization] hurts me personally. I think Luka absolutely did not deserve this. I know he sacrificed a lot.” Doncic had stated he thought he’d spend his entire career in Dallas, but an overnight blockbuster was worked out, and Luka was in LA despite having just bought a multimillion dollar house in Dallas.

Since then, Luka seems to have adapted to his new surroundings. His body language is different, and he is playing at his usual MVP level. It took him a little while both mentally and physically to get his game back to where we are used to it being. The trade affected him mentally, but physically, he was still feeling the affets of a calf strain in his first few gams in a a Laker.

Luka was “born for LA”

Now Luka has meshed with LeBron James and his new teammates and adapted to life in Los Angeles. Doncic, who is from Slovenia, spent his formative years in Madrid playing for European giants Real Madrid. He won the Euroleague MVP as a teenager, and shortly after was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks.

While Dallas was home to Luka, his dad says Los Angeles was made for for his son and his son was born to be in LA. “We know that Luka plays better when the pressure is bigger. I just believe that he is born for this city. And this city is made for him. I won’t say literally, but it’s his first character. I believe he’ll succeed here.”

The Lakers won 9 of 11 to start Luka’s era in LA, but then LeBron got injured against the Celtics, missing seven games and the would lost four in a row. LeBron is back for the final stretch of the season, and the Lakers are currently sitting fourth in the West. The are just 2.5 games back of Houston who would have the two seed if the season ended today, but just three games of Golden State who would have to get through the Play-In to make the playoffs.

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