"This trade really hurt" - Former MVP Dirk Nowitzki keeps it 100% real about conflicting emotions on seeing Luka Doncic join the Lakers

Dirk Nowitzki reacted with a flushed face emoji when the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers in early February. The former MVP couldn't hold back his shock when GM Nico Harrison sent the Slovenian to Hollywood for a package centered around Anthony Davis. Nowitzki, though, threw his support behind Doncic and attended the point guard's debut with the Lakers.

On the 41 Campus podcast, the 2011 NBA Finals MVP said about the Doncic trade:

“It’s going to take weeks and months before it starts to feel a little more normal. It’s a tough situation, but, in my tweet, I made it clear — I will always be a Mavs fan. But this trade really hurt. And it will take a while before everyone processes it and moves on.”

Dirk Nowitzki added that he and his family were about to have lunch when the news broke. The German basketball legend said that he had sat for “an hour, scrolling through X” to understand more about what had happened.

Nowitzki was in the final year of a 21-year NBA career, all with the Dallas Mavericks when Luka Doncic arrived. The Mavericks traded Trae Young to the Hawks, the No. 5 pick, for Doncic, picked No. 3 by Atlanta, and a 2019 first-rounder. After a highly touted career in Spain with Real Madrid, the Slovenian was billed as Nowitzki’s heir in Dallas.

Most fans, including Dirk Nowitzki, likely thought Luka Doncic would end his career with the Mavericks. Instead, the team shocked the sporting world by trading the 26-year-old to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.

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Luka Doncic, like Dirk Nowitzki, thinks the closure of the trade will take time

The eyes of the basketball world were at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 25 when the LA Lakers hosted the Dallas Mavericks. The game marked the first time the two teams met following the stunning trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks.

After helping the Lakers to an emotional 107-99 win, the point guard was asked if the matchup gave him closure. Doncic replied:

"The closure is going to take a while, I think. … It's not ideal, but like I said, I'm glad this game is over. There's a lot of emotions, but we go little by little, and every day is better."

Dirk Nowitzki, like Mavericks fans, was hurt by the trade. Doncic doesn't see a quick closure, and, like Nowitzki, thinks it will take time to move on. The German vowed that he's a Mavs fan for life, but a part of him is with his good friend, who's thriving in Hollywood with the Lakers.