Sunday was a memorable day for the Golden State Warriors and former NBA star Andre Iguodala. After the Warriors’ 126-102 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, the team honored Iguodala by retiring his No. 9 jersey and raising a banner to the rafters.
As expected, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was present to watch his team play. However, what stood out was the presence of another GM—one whose team wasn’t even involved in the game. That GM was none other than Rob Pelinka, the Los Angeles Lakers’ general manager, who had recently orchestrated a blockbuster trade sending Anthony Davis to Dallas in exchange for Luka Doncic. The multi-team deal with Harrison had dramatically reshaped both franchises.
Pelinka, who previously served as Iguodala’s agent before joining the Lakers, attended the ceremony at Chase Center. Just before it began, he and Harrison exchanged a few words. ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk shared a video of their interaction on social media, sparking immediate reactions from fans—particularly since Harrison had faced intense scrutiny for trading away a 25-year-old franchise cornerstone.
“That smile by Nico went dark quickly right when he saw Rob,” one fan observed. Another added, “You can visibly see Nico’s face changed after seeing Rob.”
“He’s mad mad after being robbed and finessed in the Luka trade by Pelinka,” another fan commented.
“‘I still can’t believe you actually agreed to that trade,'” someone else wrote.
“Buddies for life,” one person joked.
“Rob is asking if Kyrie is available for trade this summer,” another speculated.
“Cringefest!!” one fan declared.
“You can tell Pelinka is the alpha in the relationship. So much for a guy with Mamba Mentality!” another added.
