Patrick Dumont went on the record to discuss the Dallas Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, a shocking trade that came just over a year after the Dumont/Adelson family assumed ownership of the franchise and less than a year after Doncic led the team to The Finals.
“It’s hard to make tough decisions,” Dumont said. “And it’s hard to make the right decisions when they’re tough. And it’s easy to do nothing.
“But when you want to pursue excellence in an organization, you have to make the tough decisions and stand by them and keep going.”
The Mavericks’ previous regime, largely led by Mark Cuban, were responsible for drafting Doncic. Cuban once famously said he would sooner divorce his wife than ever trade Doncic.
“I’m a big Luka fan. My family are big Luka fans. I have a really deep appreciation for what he brought to this team, what he brought to Dallas, and the excitement he brings. He’s an electrifying player.
“I want you to know I really sympathize with all of our fans who feel hurt. Look, as far as I’m concerned, Luka is a Mav for life and I really wish him nothing but happiness and success in his career as he continues in LA.”
While Dumont did speak positively of Doncic, his comments later inferred that there was a cultural decision made by the Mavericks in trading him.
“In my mind the way teams win is by focus, by having the right character, by having the right culture, and having the right dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome,” Dumont said. “And if you’re not doing that, you’re going to lose.”
Dumont’s tone again turned forceful, according to the Dallas Morning News.
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with – [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] – they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” he said. “And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.
“That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”