Luka Doncic's shocking move to the Los Angeles Lakers was the top story of another drama-filled weekend of sports.
Yes, let us breathe and take a moment to relieve what happened last weekend. While there were no major sporting events that took place, it would be hard for another weekend this year to top what happened last weekend in the world of sports.
It was a weekend like no other for one special reason, which is even not related to what happened on the court or pitch. More on that later.
Meanwhile, in the UFC, it looks like it’s father time for Israel Adesanya after he suffered a second round devastating knockout loss to Nassourdine Imavov on Saturday night in Saudi Arabia.
In Europe, domestic league action continued but it was not good news for some of the big teams. Real Madrid suffered a controversial 1-0 defeat at Espanyol in their LaLiga encounter, while Manchester United were beaten at home by Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
In Serie A, Stefan de Vrij’s late equaliser denied AC Milan a win in the Milan derby while Napoli also failed to capitalise on Inter’s draw as they played a 1-1 draw against AS Roma.
However, while these are big news in their own right, the two biggest headlines from last weekend had to do with a trade and the clash at the Emirates Stadium in England.
As a sports fan, you always have that one moment when you remember the exact place you were when it happened. Most times, it’s always an incredible play in the course of a game.
Last Sunday or Saturday night, depending on your location, was one of those days- but this one was not a moment of individual brilliance. Instead, it was a bombshell that no one saw coming, which is Luka Doncic is no longer a Dallas Mavericks player.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, rumours swirled around that Doncic, one of the best players in the league and the face of the Mavs franchise, was being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Initially, many thought the reporter who first broke the story was hacked, but multiple reporters then confirmed. Later on Sunday, both the Mavs and Lakers officially confirmed the news.
The Mavs traded Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick.
The news of the trade sent shockwaves across the world as many did not see it coming. Doncic was considered one of the untouchables in the NBA and the face of the Mavs franchise.
He led the league in scoring last year and led the Mavs to their first NBA finals since they won it in 2011. Also, there were no indications he wanted out as he was eligible for a $350m max contract this summer. At 25, Doncic is already a five-time All-Star, five-time NBA first-team selection and just approaching his prime.
This is a first in NBA history as Doncic is not just young but he’s also arguably a top three player in the league. It was a trade that made no sense on paper but the Mavs’ general manager Nico Harrison believes the deal makes sense for the team.
“We think defence wins championships and we’re bringing in one of the best two-way players in the league,” Harrison said. He added that Davis’ ability to be elite at both ends makes him “a unique unicorn” in the NBA.
“We feel like we’re built to win now as well as in the future,” Harrison said.
Well, time will tell whether Harrison is truly audacious or just plain stupid. I think the latter will be the case.
Away from the Doncic drama to the Emirates, where Arsenal handed Manchester City a lesson in their Premier League encounter.
The pressure was on the Gunners as they were nine points behind Liverpool who had beaten Bournemouth a day earlier. Yes, Man City have been poor this season but Arsenal still had to do the job.
That was exactly what the Gunners did as they thrashed the champions 5-1. Captain Martin Odegaard set the tempo by opening the scoring after just two minutes. Although Erling Haaland restored parity for Pep Guardiola’s men in the 55th minute, further goals from Thomas Partey, Miles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwanieri gave Mikel Arteta’s men a comprehensive win.
