It was the deal that resonated globally.
The Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Initially, nobody thought it was genuine.
Everyone believed the individual who reported the trade had been hacked.
That individual is Shams Charania, ESPN’s NBA insider.
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It was the deal that resonated globally.
The Dallas Mavericks were sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Doncic has aided the Lakers in climbing the Western Conference rankings since he joined in February.
Doncic has contributed to the Lakers climbing the Western Conference rankings since he joined in February. Credit: Getty
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Initially, nobody thought it was genuine.
Everyone believed that the individual who reported the trade had been hacked.
That individual is Shams Charania, the NBA insider for ESPN.
No, he was not compromised.
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Charania appeared on The Young Man and The Three podcast and disclosed what transpired that notorious evening and the moment he received the news to announce to the public, altering the NBA’s trajectory forever.
“Charania remembered it was Saturday night immediately following the Knicks Lakers game in New York.”
“The Lakers triumphed, it was an important victory for the Lakers.”
“I was thoroughly getting ready for my flight to Bristol the following morning since it was a significant trade deadline week.”
No, he was not compromised.
Clearly, the De’Aaron Fox trade was on my mind, as was Jimmy Butler’s trade.
“I was merely getting ready and preparing for this morning flight, and around 11:05, I received what you might refer to in my area as a ‘tip’; you know, when you get a tip-off about something.”
Around 11:05, I received a heads-up that something is happening involving the Lakers and Mavericks…
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“My hands trembled; you needed to ensure every detail was correct.”
“You needed to ensure there were no mistakes, and I recall my hands were shaking.” I didn’t have an image to accompany it as it was so unexpected.
“You lack the time to prepare in advance for a Luka Doncic graphic.”
“By the time I learned about it and the moment I released it, roughly five to seven minutes elapsed.”
“Five verified sources about it, and then afterward, my phone became chaotic.”
“I received as many as around 300 text messages.”
With just one post on X, Charania caused a sensation online.
It is arguably the largest trade in NBA history and undoubtedly the most significant of this century.
It was difficult to understand back then, and it remains difficult to understand now.
Doncic et LeBron James étaient désormais coéquipiers.
The Mavericks voluntarily traded their international superstar, a top-three athlete in the league, out of town.
It was illogical then, and it is illogical now.
Charania’s hands trembled for a valid reason, since the fate of the NBA depended on his fingertips.