The lessons I have learned from the Luka Doncic trade

The lessons I have learned from the Luka Doncic trade.

You probably have by now seen hundreds if not thousands of articles and news stories

regarding the Luka Doncic trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers. I am not

seeking to rehash or recount what are by now well documented facts and opinions of all

involved parties. I do believe however that such a monumental event of trading a generational

talent and a young man who is well on his way to becoming possibly the greatest basketball

player of all time can be instructive in many different ways in our life. So here are a few lessons

I have learned and would like to share.

1 Nothing in this life is certain.

In James 4:13-16, James tells us that we do not even know if we have tomorrow. There is no

scenario or even a thought that the Mavericks would trade Luka Doncic away. It was the most

improbable move in the history of ANY sport even more impactful than Harry Frazee selling

George Herman Ruth to the New York Yankees and yet it happened. People everywhere were in

disbelief most including myself thought it had to be fake news or were checking the date on the

calendar because it HAD to be an April fool’s joke. There is no way anyone in their right mind

would think this was a good idea, right? And yet it happened. We take many things for granted

in this life and we think there are some things that are certain and will never change but as

Christian’s we know that one day the sun won’t be coming up, the world will end and the things

that will never happen will happen. We can get comfortable and complacent about our lives

and our families. We can take them for granted assuming they will be there tomorrow until one

day they aren’t or you aren’t, and we may be in disbelief that this could happen but it does.

James 4:13-16

13  Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and

spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”  14 [k] Yet you do not

know  [l] what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a

little while, and then vanishes away.  15 [m] Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we

will live and also do this or that.”  16  But as it is, you boast in your  [n] arrogance; all such

boasting is evil. 

2 Appreciate what you have while you have it.

Luka Doncic brought a lot of joy to a lot of fans in Dallas. I was there in the American Airlines

center with my wife and son for game 3 of the NBA finals last June. When you watch Luka play

you see joy and it is contagious. If you had ever thought he would not be here in Dallas, would

you have spent the money to attend the finals? Would you have gone to more games or

showed your appreciation more? What about the loved ones in your life. If you are fortunate

enough to still have them perhaps hug them a little more, a little tighter enjoy them and bless

them while you can.

Ecclesiastes 5:18- 20 Here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat, to drink and

enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few years of his

life which God has given him; for this is his reward. 19Furthermore, as for every man to

whom God has given riches and wealth, He has also empowered him to eat from them

and to receive his reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the gift of God. 20For he will not

often consider the years of his life, because God keeps him occupied with the gladness of

his heart.

3 We have an enemy and war is upon us whether we would choose it

or not

John 10:10 10  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that

they would have life, and ] have it abundantly.

There is no doubt that the kingdom of this world is all about destruction and death. I don’t

know about you but the entire trade and everything surrounding it and the way it was handled

before during and after screams darkness. It could not have possibly been done in a worse way

than it was. Everyone involved was absolutely devastated. Kyrie Irving even stated that he was

grieving and was unable to even play the next day after the trade. The Mavericks players were

all devastated. Many of them had come to Dallas because they desperately wanted to ply with

Luka and now that had been stolen from them. Nobody wanted this. It feels like this team was

literally destroyed. Whether the decision was about greed, self-interest, hubris or possibly even

racism, there was definitely darkness surrounding the entire thing. The reason that we have to

live our lives as though we have no promise of tomorrow is because we have an enemy who

seeks nothing more than to destroy and he hates each and every one of us and we need to be

on guard because he will strike when we least expect it.

I Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like

a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

4 You must find a way to carry on

I know it’s hard and for those who have had life altering losses in their life it may feel all but

impossible, but you have life and breath for a reason. The enemy has not won and will not win.

Take Job for example. In Job chapter 1 we see that Job lost his entire family all of his kids all of

his possessions all of his wealth everything except his wife who even turned on him. He even

later lost his health. The enemy destroyed everything he had and took it from him but he could

not take Job’s faith and his integrity. Job may have faltered. He blamed God for his troubles but

even then Job said that though he slay me yet will I serve him. That kind of devotion to God is

what brought him through.

Hebrews 12:1-3 Therefore, since we also have such a great cloud of witnesses

surrounding us, let’s rid ourselves of every obstacle and the sin which so easily

entangles us, and let’s run with endurance the race that is set before us,  2  looking only at

Jesus, the  [ originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured

the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of

God. 3  For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so

that you will not grow weary  [b] and lose heart.

5 Never give up control of the things that are important to you.

In recent interviews Mark Cuban has expressed deep regret for yielding control of the Dallas

Mavericks to Patrick Dumont. Mark has been quoted as saying if he had to choose between

Luka and his wife he would have chosen Luka. He is the biggest Mavericks fan and no one loves

the team more than Cuban. There is no way this happens if Mark were still the majority owner.

We have seen this repeated over and over. George Lucas sold his rights to the Star Wars

franchise to Disney only to see the sequel Trilogy wreck his legacy. As we have embarked on

our journey we have had many who are interested in our ideas for film and TV but they want to

be in control. Giving over control the things you love and are deeply passionate about will never

end well. Nobody is as invested in the things you care most about as you are. Yielding control

and entrusting others with you most cherished things is asking for trouble.

John 10:11-15

11“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12He who is a

hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and

leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters the flock. 13He

flees because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd,

and I know My own, and My own know Me, 15just as the Father knows Me and I know the

Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep

6 A wise man has many Counselors

One thing regarding the trade became abundantly clear is that the trade was made in a vacuum

with little to no input from other owners, coaches, or anyone else other than the GM and

majority owner. It was reported that Mark Cuban did his best to stop the trade at the last

minute but by the time he was notified the deal had been struck. The reaction of the players

and of the head coach Jason Kidd told everything. Nobody saw this coming and no one was

consulted on this. One of the true and very real benefits of diversity is for people to bring

different perspectives and thought processes so that a problem can be examined from all

angles so that blind spots become apparent and mistakes can be avoided. When you surround

yourself with only people who agree with you or choose to make big decisions without

receiving any counsel from anyone you are setting yourself up to make life altering mistakes.

Proverbs 15:22

Without consultation, plans are frustrated,

But with many counselors they succeed.

7 Pride goes before a fall

One thing is becoming even more evident in ensuing press conferences and in media reports

and in the action of Niko Harrison and that is despite all the body of evidence to the contrary he

still believes trading Luka Doncic was the right thing to do. He recently stated that he doesn’t

care what the fans think or what Dirk Nowitzki thinks because he’s right and he’s doing what is

best for the Mavericks. I mean you think that a hall of fame player one of the all-time greats

who has a statue outside the arena might know some things that you might want to listen to?

Does Niko really believe he knows more about the game of basketball than Dirk? He made this

decision without consultation of Jason Kidd who is another hall of fame player and all time

great and the current head coach of the team, or any of the players or other owners like Mark

Cuban who is the owner that delivered the only championship the team has ever had. I mean

Dirk, Kidd and Cuban were all three crucial to the one and only championship the Mavericks

have ever won and you Nico Harrison think you know more than all of them and can make such

a franchise altering decision by keeping your own counsel alone? Really?

Proverbs 16:18

Pride goes before destruction,

            And a haughty spirit before stumbling

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While there are many other truths and things we could consider regarding this trade I hope that

you find these takeaways to be helpful and instructive in your life.