Two moments. Sixteen months apart. Same player. And a giant new red flag for the NBA.
It’s Christmas in Dallas in 2024, and the hometown Mavericks are facing the Timberwolves in a massive showcase on national TV. Late in the second quarter, Luka Doncic catches the ball on the left wing, attacks the elbow, splits his stance wide for the stepback, and, at the instant he usually gathers and rises, aborts. Instead of his patented shot, he throws a flat, listless pass to Kyrie Irving at the logo. Doncic doubles over on the wing, with both hands on his left calf. He wouldn’t play another game in a Mavericks uniform. Six weeks later, he’s traded to the Lakers, and the explanation the front office gives the public is clear: They don’t trust his body.
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