In an interview with Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News, Dumont strongly implied that the departed Doncic wasn’t like all-time greats Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, who “worked really hard, everyday with a singular focus to win.” He added, “If you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.”
It’s the latest comment from Mavericks management, who have criticized Doncic’s weight, drinking and poor defense since sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. But Dumont chose curious examples of players he believed were singularly committed to winning.
Shaquille O’Neal was notorious for “playing himself into shape” every year after reporting to training camp out of shape. Coming off of back-to-back championships in the fall of 2001, the 335-pound O’Neal told the New York Times,
“I gave it a lot of thought, and then I decided, I’m not going to lose 30 pounds and be a skinnyhead. I like being big. I’m the NBA’s best NFL player. I got a football body, baby.”
The Lakers won their third title in a row that season.
Larry Bird injured his finger in a bar fight during the 1985 Eastern Conference Finals, and his Boston Celtics went on to lose the NBA Finals with Bird shooting under 45% (he was at 52.2% in the regular season).
“I’ve made a lot of mistakes,” Bird told the Los Angeles Times after the season. “I like to drink beer and go out and have a good time.”
Bird and the Celtics went on to win their third NBA championship the next season, and would reach the NBA Finals again in 1987. Even when Bird did do an off-season training program in 1987, he told the Chicago Tribune, “Only thing I wanted to make sure of is that I could drink beer when I play golf after exercising.”
Even Jordan, the relentless competitor, once took a 100-mile limo ride to Atlantic City and gambled until 2:30 a.m. on the night before Game 2 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals. The Chicago Bulls lost that game before going on to win the series and their third straight NBA title.
The Mavericks may well have not wanted to commit over $300M to Doncic and make him the long-term future of the franchise. But their constant criticism of their former player after sending him away is distasteful and petty.
Plus, Dumont has proved with his ignorance of basketball by using Bird and O’Neal as examples of singularly-focused players. If Dumont thinks Shaq took care of his body and only cared about winning, it’s safe for Mavericks fans to question his basketball judgment in other areas as well.
Like the wisdom of trading a 25-year-old, five-time All-NBA guard.
