LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ reported reactions to the Luka Dončić trade on Feb. 1 were revealed in Yaron Weitzman’s book, “A Hollywood Ending: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers,” per the New York Post’s Christian Arnold.
Davis, who was sent to the Dallas Mavericks in the deal, questioned if the Lakers traded him. He then wished his now-ex teammates good luck and left the group chat.
James’ son, Lakers guard Bronny James, posted the breaking news from ESPN’s Shams Charania in the group chat and wondered if he had been hacked.
He had not, and thus, one of the biggest and most shocking trades in professional sports history went down.
It was a bewildering and stunning move at the time, but now both sides have moved onto their respective eras.
Dončić, a five-time All-NBA player, is leading the Lakers into their new season with James, a 21-time All-NBA player and four-time NBA MVP, sidelined to start with sciatica on his right side. L.A. has added some new pieces this offseason to help out the rotation in Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia.
Davis, a 10-time All-Star, is on a Mavs team that could be special with the addition of No. 1 overall pick and potential superstar Cooper Flagg. The Mavs still await the return of Kyrie Irving from a torn ACL last season last March, but they could be a serious threat upon his return.
