The Dallas Mavericks' shocking trade of five-time All-Star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers caught NBA players, pundits, fans, and even the stars involved in the deal, off guard. And, as Doncic himself admitted during his introductory press conference on Tuesday, the trade, which he still didn't understand the rationale behind, was "hard" for him to process in the hours and days after it occurred.
And he wasn't the only one.
Doncic's former Mavericks teammate Kyrie Irving spoke to reporters on Tuesday following Dallas's 118-116 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers and shared his heartbreaking reaction to the club's trade of his friend and former teammate.
Kyrie Irving shares his reaction to the Luka Dončić trade. pic.twitter.com/vRW5AtOp6o
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) February 5, 2025
"Just really shocked," Irving said. "You just don't imagine you're going to get ready to go to sleep and then you find out news like that. It's still a grieving process right now. I miss my hermano."
Irving was dealt to the Mavericks in February of 2023, officially ushering in the Doncic-Irving era in Dallas. And while the friendship didn't blossom overnight, the two cultivated a lasting friendship on and off the court, thanks in part to preseason trips to Madrid and Abu Dhabi, where the two began to form a brotherhood.
That connection between the two was evident on the court as well, as the Mavericks, after missing the playoffs post-Irving trade in 2022-23, made it all the way to the NBA Finals in 2023-24, where they were eventually defeated by the Boston Celtics.
In a press conference following the Mavericks' playoff series win over the Los Angeles Clippers this past summer, the brotherhood between the two stars was evident. Doncic credited Irving's positive energy. Irving praised Doncic for helping him grow as a leader.
That relationship, and the success the two found as a result of it, is part of what makes the Doncic trade so difficult for Irving to process.
"This is a business, it's way above my pay grade, and I've just got to adjust and be ready to welcome in my new teammates with open arms and kind of be ready to go back to Dallas, too, to speak in front of our fans," Irving said. "I know they are feeling it, too. I'm feeling it too, guys."
"So, yeah, it's just an adjustment period. I don't want to downplay this either, or disrespect our new guys. They're going to help us win, and help us build toward a championship, but just like everyone else at home, when you kind of see it from afar, it hurts."
More of the Latest Around the NBA
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kyrie Irving Shares Heartbreaking Reaction to Mavericks' Luka Doncic Trade.
