The story of Luka Doncic signing a max three-year extension with the Lakers could not be told without discussing the shocking trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers in the first place.
What was clear from listening to Doncic at his press conference after the signing was that he was looking forward, not back. That’s what his manager, Lara Beth Seager, told Dan Woike of The Athletic.
“He’s moved on,” she told The Athletic…
“He’s only looking forward. And he’s here. He wants to get the best players here. He wants to win, and he knows it starts with him. And I think that’s what he proved this offseason. ‘OK, everyone wants to say or people think that they know me or I’m not a leader or I’m this way, or I’m that way, I don’t care. They can think and say whatever they want. I’m gonna show them who I am.”
She compared the situation with the Lakers like a marriage, one that may have ups and downs but is built on trust and loyalty. That echoed what Doncic himself said during his press conference.
“I was kind of thinking, obviously not at the moment when I got traded, but later on when I started playing, I wanted to be here,” Doncic said. “Like I said, this is an amazing organization. We have a trust in each other, so honestly, I decided pretty quick.”
That commitment to the Lakers and the future may be most evident in his post-trade revenge body and newfound commitment to conditioning.
“I would just say, it was like a fresh start for me,” Doncic said. “Obviously, I was on my way of doing it [already], but it was just kind of a fresh start. I had a little more time to get my mind on basketball, just doing other things. So, I would just say, like, a fresh start for me.”
Doncic has moved on, and the lottery luck leading to Cooper Flagg landing in Dallas has helped that organization and its fan base move on. That’s healthy for everyone involved.
It doesn’t mean that a Lakers vs. Mavericks Christmas Day game wouldn’t be a real showcase for the league. Sports fans aren’t going to move on quite as quickly.
