LeBron James recently shared an Instagram story containing a revealing Turkish proverb that seemed to indirectly criticize the new owners of the Dallas Mavericks after the team explained their decision to trade the 25-year-old star, Luka Doncic.
“When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.”
In his comments, LeBron added, “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. And if you’re not doing that, you’re going to lose.”
He continued, “If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with – Jordan, Bird, Kobe, Shaq — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win. 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.”
Doncic has long been considered a talent on par with the legendary names LeBron referenced. The idea that he reached his current level of excellence without dedication or hard work is hard to believe. Results speak for themselves—Doncic has led the Mavericks to both the NBA Finals and the Conference Finals in the past three seasons, even before turning 25.
The names cited by the Mavericks’ governor were also questionable. For instance, Jordan was known for smoking cigars and sometimes prioritizing golf or cards over basketball, while Bird was famous for his love of beer. These habits don’t discredit their greatness but rather highlight that exceptional talent often transcends flaws.
It was also strange for the Mavericks to use Shaquille O’Neal as an example of dedication over their own franchise icon, Dirk Nowitzki. Doncic’s career trajectory resembles O’Neal’s in some ways, especially with criticism over conditioning. However, both players’ on-court dominance has overshadowed such concerns.
LeBron, now supporting Doncic as his teammate, believes this could serve as the motivation Doncic needs to lock in and prove his dedication to both the game and his body. If Doncic flourishes with the Lakers, becoming a multi-time champion and MVP, the Mavericks could struggle to earn the trust of future superstar players.
