LeBron James initially thought news of Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade was “fake”

LeBron James opened up about his disbelief when he found out about the Lakers trading Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic.

LeBron James initially thought news of Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade was “fake”

LeBron James was in disbelief of Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade

LeBron James has seen a lot during his two decades in the NBA, but even he was caught off guard when news broke that the Los Angeles Lakers were trading Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic. The 40-year-old superstar admitted Tuesday that his first reaction was disbelief, thinking the report was a hoax.

Like many fans, James struggled to wrap his head around the idea that the Lakers would part ways with Davis or the Mavericks themselves trade a superstar of Luka Doncic’s caliber. Davis, a player who had been LeBron James’ running mate for over five seasons and helped deliver an NBA championship in 2020, has also been a close friend of James, leading to the Lakers veteran’s disbelief over the trade.

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The first time I heard it I thought it was for sure fake. I thought it was a hoax, people messing around, whatever. But then AD called me, AD FaceTimed me, and I talked to him for quite a while. Even when I got off the phone with him it still didn’t seem real. It still pretty much didn’t seem real until I saw Luka today and then I saw a clip of AD at the Dallas shootaround. That’s when it finally hit me.

James said Tuesday

As James said in the interview, he had been out for dinner with his family before receiving the shocking news of the Doncic-Davis trade, which may have spoiled his night. The trade, which sent Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick to Dallas in exchange for Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris, was one of the most unexpected moves in NBA history, as James’ reaction itself suggested.

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LeBron James’ reaction only establishes how blindsiding a move of this magnitude was, especially given the secrecy surrounding it. While Anthony Davis had been an integral part of the Lakers’ plans for the future, the most shocking element of the trade was a team like the Dallas Mavericks deciding to move on from their 25-year-old homegrown superstar just 7 months after he had led them to the NBA Finals.

JJ Redick reveals thoughts on Luka Doncic’s fit with LeBron James

With the trade finally set in stone and Luka Doncic already making his presence known in LA, the focus has shifted to how Doncic and LeBron James will fit together on the court. Lakers head coach JJ Redick was quick to express confidence in their ability to coexist, citing their high basketball IQ and unselfish play styles as reasons why the pairing should work.

You have two guys who have a high level of basketball intelligence that I’m very confident whether it’s playing a two-man game, a three-man game, playing minutes without each other…they’re gonna be productive. They’re gonna excel. I think for both those guys, they have a killer’s mentality, and that’s exciting. 

Redick said ahead of LA Clippers beating

Redick’s optimism is certainly warranted. While both Doncic and James are ball-dominant players, they are also two of the best playmakers in the league. Their ability to create for themselves and others should make for a dynamic offensive duo.

In addition, historically, LeBron James has thrived alongside other superstar guards. From Dwyane Wade in Miami to Kyrie Irving in Cleveland. While Luka Doncic is a different type of player than the other two, his elite passing and scoring should complement James’ all-around game. Other pairings of ball-dominant stars have worked in the past, such as the James Harden and Chris Paul rendition of the Houston Rockets.

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Given this history, it may not be a stretch to believe that the versatile and 3-level scoring of players like James and Doncic will certainly find a way to make things work. How the rest of the Lakers offense functions around them, though, is all up to JJ Redick.