HOFer Don Nelson Rips Mavs' Luka Doncic Trade, Wears Lakers Star's Shoes in 'Protest'

Hall of Fame head coach and former Dallas Mavericks coach Don Nelson called out the team's decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2024-25 season.

"My philosophy was always, when you've got a great player, he's yours for a lifetime," Nelson said, per NBA insider Marc Stein. "You don't get rid of great players. When that happened, I was pretty disappointed."

Nelson also called Dončić a "dear friend" (via Stein) and wore the star forward's shoes to "protest" the trade when receiving the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award.

On Feb. 2, the Mavericks dealt Dončić to the Lakers for a package that included Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick. It was a surprising move, with the superstar never requesting a trade and Dallas coming off a 2024 NBA Finals appearance.

Nelson spent eight seasons as head coach of the Mavericks from 1997 through 2005, as the team finished with a record of 339-251 during his time with the organization.

His tenure in Dallas also overlapped with franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki, who spent all 21 years of his Hall of Fame career with the Mavericks.

Nelson's son, Donnie, served as Dallas' general manager from 2005 until the end of the 2020-21 season. He was part of the Mavericks' front office regime that acquired Dončić in the first round of the 2018 draft, as he was selected with the No. 3 overall pick.

The 26-year-old remained one of the league's top offensive players following the blockbuster trade, averaging 28.2 points and 8.1 rebounds to go along with 7.5 assists per game on 43.8/37.9/79.1 shooting splits with Los Angeles.

While the Mavericks missed the playoffs and ended their 2024-25 campaign with a 39-43 record, their long-term future remains bright after they ended up securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA draft by winning the draft lottery.

Nelson still wasn't pleased with the way that the team handled Dončić, though.