LeBron James‘ true thoughts about the blockbuster trade that sent long-time teammate Anthony Davis to Dallas may be best encapsulated by a brutally honest comment he shared with then-Mavericks star Luka Doncic in 2019.

‘Keep going, you’re a bad mother***er,’ James told a 19-year-old Doncic after a thrilling overtime win against the Mavericks in Dallas.

The two had matching triple doubles that night while alternately delivering one incredible highlight after another. Ultimately then-Lakers guard Danny Green drained a tying 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime, where Los Angeles proved to be too much.

Doncic finished with 31 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high 15 assists, including a dime on Dorian Finney-Smith’s go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute of regulation. James, meanwhile, had 39 points with 16 assists and 12 rebounds.

Clearly impressed by his budding rival, Doncic, James rushed over to the young Slovenian to share his impressions after the final buzzer: ‘God damn, boy.’

Now James and Doncic will be teammates in Los Angeles, where the Lakers have completed an foundational trade by sending 31-year-old defensive stopper Anthony Davis to the Mavericks.

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LeBron James told Luka Doncic he was a ‘bad motherf***er’ when they squared off in 2019

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Doncic, then 20, couldn’t help but smile at the future Hall of Famer’s praise

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James and Doncic had matching triple doubles on November 2, 2019 – a Lakers win over Dallas

There has been reporting that James had grown tired of playing alongside Davis, with whom he won a title in 2020.

Bill Reiter, the NBA Insider for CBS, told his channel he heard talk last year within the Lakers organization that James was growing frustrated with Davis, who has battled a series of injuries in Los Angeles.

‘It wasn’t that AD was going to be traded, it was just something to keep an eye on – that LeBron is frustrated with AD and doesn’t think that it is working,’ Reiter said of what he heard in 2024.

James, 40, hit back abruptly on X, replying to the video clip with a Pinocchio emoji and a clown emoji plus the comment: ‘You a fkn lie!!!’

Davis is signed to Klutch Sports, the agency owned and run by James’ agent and close friend, Rich Paul.

Subsequent reporting has shed some light on the Mavericks’ motivation in the deal.

Doncic was reportedly pushing 270 pounds when Dallas general manager Nico Harrison ended talks on a $345 million extension to pursue Saturday night’s historic trade with the Lakers and Utah Jazz.

Officially it was concerns over Doncic’s defense – and not his conditioning – that prompted Harrison to swap the 25-year-old offensive wizard for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, rising guard Max Christie, and a future first-round draft pick.

‘I believe that defense wins championships,’ Mavs general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon , who was first to report Doncic’s 270-pound heft. ‘I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.’

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LeBron James has slammed claims that he wanted Anthony Davis to leave the Lakers

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James angrily hit out at a reporter who said he had grown frustrated with teammate Davis

Doncic did not push for a trade, according to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein . Rather, Stein reports, the two sides were headed towards that five-year, $345 million extension until Saturday.

And as sources have since revealed to MacMahon, the Mavs ‘had major concerns about moving forward with Luka Doncic due to his constant conditioning issues.’

Unfortunately for Doncic, he’s no longer eligible for that extension, according to former Brooklyn Nets assistant general manager and current ESPN salary cap analyst Bobby Marks.

What’s more, Doncic and his $43 million salary now go from Texas, where there is no state income tax, to California , where rates can go as high as 12.3 percent. For now, he remains signed through the 2025-26 season and has a player option for 2026-27.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Doncic’s agency and the Mavericks for further comment.

Nearly everyone was blindsided by the news, including Doncic, Davis and James, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that James was out to eat in New York with family after beating the Knicks on Saturday when he first learned he was losing the 31-year-old Davis, who missed the game with an abdominal strain.