06-24-2023, 12:10 PM
(06-24-2023, 06:10 AM)Dundalis Wrote: I actually don't think his issues were entirely to do with winning. He basically said at the end, paraphrasing, that he likes to have fun, and that the locker room was a bad, dysfunctional environment to be around and he couldn't have fun and therefore did not enjoy playing basketball. The guy literally hates every aspect of practice and training except for the part that involves playing ball, specifically because he only likes the fun part. He's even intimated retiring early if basketball stops being fun for him.
I actually think if the locker room atmosphere is good, with team guys and players that are bought in and creating a good environment to be around, that's what Luka is referring to when it comes to enjoying coming in to work and play ball every day. Obviously winning is a part of that, but the straight up fact of the matter is Luka looked miserable even when this team was the 5th/4th seed. That doesn't match with someone who's only happy if the team is winning. He's looked way happier in the past when the team hasn't been doing nearly as well.
That he straight up said he did not enjoy playing basketball and it being because of winning simply doesn't match up with the results the entire time he looked unhappy, compared to his happiness levels in the past. You might get frustrated and upset, but I don't think you stop enjoying playing basketball altogether just because you are losing, there's something else going on to cause that.
I think there’s a lot of truth in what your saying. He lost a lot of his closest friends and „culture guys“ on the team with Brunson, Boban, DFS and also Kokoskov. That combined with the drop from being a top 4 team and sniffing success in 2022 surely made an impact on him. The team just didn’t mesh last season - when you listen to what Jokic was saying after the finals, I think that spirit of togetherness and cohesion is what Doncic needs as well, a bit like a family far away from home.