"All of this just makes the NBA look bad": NBA fans react to rumors of Luka Doncic's drinking habits surface

When the Dallas Mavericks suddenly traded Luka Doncic, seemingly out of the blue, fans wondered whether there was more going on behind the scenes. Some speculated that perhaps Doncic had given the team indications that he wouldn't sign a supermax deal once his contract was up. Others wondered whether he had expressed frustration with the front office behind the scenes.

Instead, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison pointed to Doncic's conditioning while citing the team's culture as a reason for the trade. According to the German-speaking basketball podcast "GotNexxt," Doncic's alleged drinking habits created friction.

One German-speaking Reddit user transcribed the conversation from the latest episode of the podcast, where one of the hosts spoke about rumors surrounding Doncic's off-court activities:

"The other rumor that keeps circulating — I hope this isn’t a bombshell — is that he also really enjoys drinking. Some even say he’s an alcoholic. I’ve heard that from Serbian sources. People who are actually involved with the Serbian national team have mentioned it. The Dončić family is originally Serbian.

And then there’s that scene we all saw on YouTube where Mike Finley just takes the beer right out of Luka’s hand after a game. That’s symbolic of what supposedly happens all the time — or at least very, very often."

NBA fans were quick to react to the story:

"Luka could chug a beer during the game and I'm giving him 350M. All of this just makes the NBA look bad... If someone who doesn't care about his weight/conditioning, is an alcoholic, addicted to shisha etc. is out there getting 31-9-8 in the playoffs, then the NBA might not be the best league in the world then," one fan wrote.

"Bird also liked beer. Celtics should’ve cut him," another fan added.

"Let's assume this is true. The Mavs blindsiding him and teaming him up with LBJ is THE perfect formula to change his entire attitude and demeanor," a fan said.

Others weren't buying the story:

"This is all speculation and fabricated concerns. Find a new slant," one fan wrote.

"Doncic family is originally from Serbia, I heard things from Serbian national team? This is like Giannis family is from Nigeria, I heard things from Nigerian national team, so it must be true. Wemby family is from Congo, I heard things from Congolese national team, so it must be true," another fan said.

"Bad enough we have to deal with no information American podcasters, now we get translations from other countries' no information podcasts." a fan joked.

Dallas brewery creates "Sell The Team IPA" following Luka Doncic's trade

While a video of Dallas Mavericks vice president of basketball operations and assistant general manager Michael Finley taking a beer from Luka Doncic during a playoff celebration last season has once again started making the rounds on social media, there has been no evidence to support the theory that Doncic is an alcoholic.

Despite that, one Dallas brewery is looking to capitalize on the sorrow of Mavericks fans in the wake of the blockbuster trade. Celestial Beerworks, a local brewery in the Dallas area founded in 2018, has created a Sell The Team double-hazy IPA designed with distraught Mavericks fans in mind.

The beer, which features deflated basketballs on the can, has an ABV of 7.7%, a nod to Doncic's jersey number, and a message for Mavericks fans on the can, informing fans that the beer pairs well with the despair and confusion of Dallas fans.

In an interview with Dallas News, co-owner Molly Reynolds spoke about the trade and the launch of the beer:

"It was such a shocking discovery! I'm like, 'Oh, maybe it's an April Fools' thing.' Like, no, it's not April Fools. I mean, just craziness! Hunter messaged us maybe like an hour or two later, and was like, 'We need to do a beer called 'Sell the Team.'"

While the team is still reeling from Anthony Davis' exit in his debut game with the Mavs, protests are continuing to rage on in Dallas, with one "sell the team," truck making frequent trips around American Airlines Center on gamedays.

Whether or not the message is received by ownership, only time will tell.