More bulletin board material is being meted out to former Mavericks star Luka Doncic in a jaw-dropping interview released on Sunday by the Dallas Morning News.
Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont, who purchased the majority stake from Mark Cuban in 2024, called out Doncic’s conditioning and willingness to do whatever it takes to win after shockingly trading him; and he doesn’t care how others take those comments.
“In my mind the way teams win is by focus, by having the right character, by having the right culture, and having the right dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome,” Dumont told the paper. “And if you’re not doing that, you’re going to lose.
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” Dumont said. “And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.
“That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”
Dumont’s response to a follow-up about how fans will infer he’s talking about Doncic was telling.
“Look, I think there’s a lot of things that come into play when you decide the roster of the team,” Dumont told the Morning News. “And culture is very important. That’s what we’re focused on.”
ESPN reporter Tim MacMahon previously reported that Dallas had “major concerns” about his lifestyle and conditioning, adding that the star guard weighed 270lbs at one point this season.
Those concerns and the ensuing trade turned into outcry from fans who have been in outright revolt since the move, with an angry mob outside of American Airlines Center sporadically throughout the week.
Frustrated and shocked Mavericks fans stormed the arena and surrounding areas with “Fire Nico” and “Sell the team” signs all around the Dallas-Fort Worth streets.
“I want you to know I really sympathize with all of our fans who feel hurt. Look, as far as I’m concerned, Luka is a Mav for life, and I really wish him nothing but happiness and success in his career as he continues in LA,” Dumont said.
Dumont still believes in his general manager Nico Harrison, though.
“I’ve said it all along: In Nico we trust,” Dumont said. “You have to respect the track record. You have to respect his intellect. You have to respect his relationships and his judgment and his point of view and the way he communicates.”
Oddly enough, Dumont said that he’s still a fan of his former star guard and that there is no bad blood from his point of view.
“I’m a big Luka fan. My family are big Luka fans. I have a really deep appreciation for what he brought to this team, what he brought to Dallas, and the excitement he brings. He’s an electrifying player.”
After the trade, though, Doncic had received calls and texts from Harrison that were left unanswered, and the general manager said, “My guess is he probably doesn’t want to talk to me.”
With Doncic reportedly “seething” at the Mavericks for trading him, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, it doesn’t seem like that feeling is mutual at this time.
The Mavericks have upset just about everyone so much that conspiracy theories were trickling out that the new owners, who made their fortune owning casinos, wanted to move the team to Las Vegas.
Dumont dispelled those tin-foil hat theories of how they could trade a generational star like Doncic.
“The Dallas Mavericks are not moving to Las Vegas,” Dumont said. “There is no question in that. That is the answer, unequivocally. The Dallas Mavericks are the Dallas Mavericks and they will be in Dallas.”
The Mavericks, who received star forward Anthony Davis and guard Max Christie in return for Doncic, are 28-25 and in eighth place in the NBA Western Conference.
Davis, 31, looked electric in his first game as a Maverick but went down with a non-contact groin injury and could be set to miss time.
