Luka Dončić made his long-awaited Los Angeles Lakers debut on Monday, and no one was more ready to see it than his new teammate, LeBron James.
As the Lakers huddled up before the team, James gave his usual pep talk and singled out Dončić, telling the 25-year-old, “Luka, be your f***ing self. Don’t fit in, fit the f*** out. Be yourself.” The Lakers went on to dominate the Utah Jazz, with Dončić scoring 14 points.
James’ message to Dončić was a cool moment for most people, with one notable exception.
NBA fans with strong memories might remember that James and Kevin Love had some issues getting on the same page during their first season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, so much so that James posted one of the most obvious subtweets in NBA history.
The message: don’t fit out, just fit in. Ergo, the exact opposite of what James said to Dončić.
Love definitely didn’t enjoy that message at the time and still wasn’t happy about it a few years later, calling it “extremely passive aggressive and silly,” while conceding he did have to make some changes.
Time has apparently healed this wound, at least, as Love, now playing with the Miami Heat, humorously pointed out the difference on Instagram with the hashtag “#LeHurtMyFeelings.”
The Lakers acquired Dončić a little more than a week ago in perhaps the most shocking trade in NBA history, and the reaction has been what you would expect in the two markets most affected. Los Angeles is elated to receive a young top-five player who can guide the Lakers in their post-James era, while Dallas is seething to the point that fans are getting kicked out of the arena amid increased security for the Mavericks.
The trade has become no better for Dallas in the week since it was executed. The Lakers still haven’t lost a game since the move, while Davis is already out multiple weeks due to an adductor strain.
