LeBron James Reacts to Anthony Davis Trade

When LeBron James found out that Anthony Davis was traded as part of the deal that brought Luka Doncic to the Lakers earlier this year, his reaction was quite spontaneous. “Holy crap,” he reportedly posted one night in February, marking one of the biggest trades in NBA history, as detailed in NBA journalist Yaron Weitzman’s book, “Hollywood Endings: The Dreams and Drama of the LeBron Lakers.”

Interestingly, it was Bronny James, LeBron’s son and a rookie for the Lakers, who shared the news from insider Shams Charania in the players’ group chat. Like many others in the sports world that evening, Bronny seemed unsure whether the news was real or perhaps some kind of prank.

Shortly after, Davis joined the conversation, asking, “Did you do these? Could you trade with me?” before leaving the group chat and wishing his former teammates well.

This prompt from Davis sparked LeBron’s three-letter response in the chat.

The trade sending Doncic to Los Angeles stirred up controversy, especially aimed at Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who faced calls for his dismissal from Dallas fans in the aftermath.

Amid all the backlash, it’s kind of interesting to note how cautiously Harrison approached his first meeting with Lakers GM Rob Pelinka. Their clandestine discussion occurred over coffee just a half-mile from the American Airlines Arena, with Pelinka dressed in a black hoodie while Harrison went for a more undercover look, sporting a black beanie and dark vest.

Following the trade, Davis played nine games with the Mavericks before sidelining due to injury, averaging 20 points. Meanwhile, Doncic scored an impressive 28.2 points per game since joining the Lakers. In the end, the Mavericks fell short in the postseason play-in round, while the Lakers were eliminated by the Timberwolves in the first round after five games.