“Some people say we don’t”: Luka Doncic fires back at NBA insiders amid false reports on relationship following ex-teammate's departure
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks have won nine of their last 10 games. Their most recent triumph came against the Charlotte Hornets, where they faced off against Doncic's former teammate, Grant Williams.
There's talk of a scuffle between Doncic and Williams during a team practice, which might have led to the latter's trade before the deadline this season. When the two teams met for the first time since February, Docnic was asked about seeing Williams in a different jersey. Doncic promptly dismissed any notion of a rift:
“Grant is a great guy. We have a great relationship outside. Some people say we don’t, but we have.”
Despite losing Williams due to the trade, Doncic acknowledges the realities of being a professional athlete as he praised the Dallas Mavericks for acquiring PJ Washington. The power forward has proven to be a defensive stalwart for the Mavericks.
His inclusion in Dallas' starting lineup has significantly bolstered its defense, making the Mavericks one of the toughest teams defensively since the All-Star break. Consequently, with the victory over Washington's former team, the Mavericks boast a 20-7 record with Washington in the lineup.
What happened between Luka Doncic and Grant Williams?
ESPN's Tim MacMahon explored the potential reasoning behind Dallas' surprising trade for Grant. Similarly, both Patrick Beverly and Michael Finley, an assistant GM for the Mavs, addressed a specific incident.
"One of the ways that Grant Williams rubbed people the wrong way, the yap, yap, yapping.”
The incident centers on a team scrimmage where Williams went to great lengths to provoke Luka Doncic during a practice game. Grant felt that Doncic wasn't prepared for the scrimmage and began taunting the superstar.
Per reports by Finley:
"Luka went on a 26-6 run by himself.”
While fans blame the altercation as the primary reason for Grant's trade, MacMahon suggests another, more pragmatic explanation:
"He (Grant) didn’t report in good shape. And Grant Williams not in good shape is not a good defender."
In their Tuesday matchup, Luka Doncic ended the night with a game-high 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists with a block on 13-of-25 shooting at 52.0%, including 8-of-17 from beyond the arc at 47.1% and 5-of-7 from the free throw line at 71.4%.
Meanwhile, Grant Williams notched up 12 points with three rebounds and four assists on 5-of-12 shooting at 41.7%, including 1-of-5 from the distance at 20.0%.