"Showing his face everywhere since the Luka trade": Lakers fans drop hilarious reactions as Rob Pelinka stops to sign autograph

LA Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was recently seen signing autographs for fans near the Crypto.com Arena. It sparked jokes among fans about how confident he must feel after pulling off the Luka Doncic trade, which added another superstar to the Lakers’ storied history.

According to reports, Pelinka and Mavericks GM Nico Harrison negotiated the trade in private to avoid leaks. When the deal was finalized, it sent shockwaves through the NBA: Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris were traded to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.

The trade has earned Rob Pelinka praise from Lakers fans, who see it as extending their championship window. Fans joked about his newfound confidence after spotting him signing autographs from his car.

“Pelinka been showing his face everywhere since the Luka trade 😭,” one fan said on X (formerly Twitter).

“I would too if i pulled off the heist of the century 😭,” another said.

“Bro a national treasure in LA,” another commented.

Other Lakers fans joined in to hype up Pelinka:

“Ngl no other GM has that much aura,” one said.

“Rob Pelinka will have a statue one day,” another said.

“Bro wants to make sure people don’t forget he’s the goat,” another added.

Rob Pelinka details how the Luka Doncic trade was kept secret

The Luka Doncic-to-Lakers trade is widely regarded as one of the most shocking in NBA history, given that it involved a young superstar. While the Lakers lost a defensive anchor (Davis) and a promising 3-and-D wing (Christie), they gained a generational talent who could take over as the franchise’s face once LeBron James retires.

Earlier this month, in a press conference to talk about the trade, Rob Pelinka said the shocking deal had to be kept secret throughout for it to happen.

"When the concept was initially introduced to us, the only way we could even have these discussions was if it was between the owner and GMs, and there was a commitment to that,” Pelinka said (per BasketNews). “And if we broke that commitment by talking to anyone else, this day would never happen.”

The Lakers have won six straight games as Doncic has returned to form with standout performances, including a triple-double and two 30-point games. Against the LA Clippers tonight, he nearly hit the mark again, finishing with 29 points.