DALLAS — Former NBA player Chandler Parsons recently claimed that Luka Doncic did not like playing with Kristaps Porzingis while they were on the Dallas Mavericks together. Doncic denied that narrative and recently fired back.
“They do not like [Kristaps] Porzingis in Dallas,” Parsons said on FanDuel's Run It Back, via ClutchPoints. “Luka [Doncic] did not like playing with him, there is an actual beef there. Everytime he touches the ball he's getting booed.”
Parsons' claim received much attention. Doncic was asked about the situation while speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
“That's why I don't watch a lot of that,” Doncic said. “Because people don't know. I talked to Chandler Parsons probably twice in my life. I don't know how he would know that. But me and KP (Porzingis) have a good relationship. I don't know why people say otherwise.”
Doncic said he has a good relationship with Porzingis. One has to wonder if Parsons will respond and cite his source for making such an eye-opening claim. Saying that one player did not like playing with a former teammate is always going to draw attention, but even more so ahead of an NBA Finals clash.
In the end, Doncic and Porzingis' time together in Dallas did not go according to plan regardless of their current relationship.
Luka Doncic, Kristaps Porzingis time together with Mavericks
Porzingis made his Mavs debut during the 2019-20 season after previously playing with the New York Knicks. Doncic, meanwhile, made his NBA debut with the Mavericks in 2018-19.
The Mavs had high hopes for Doncic. With Dirk Nowitzki's career coming to an end, Dallas knew they needed another star to pair with Doncic.
Porzingis and Doncic displayed signs of potential while playing alongside one another. After winning the NBA Rookie of the Year, it had become clear that Doncic was going to be a star in the NBA. Porzingis, though, struggled to stay healthy and was ultimately traded to the Washington Wizards during the 2021-22 season.
Jalen Brunson emerged as a star alongside Luka Doncic and the Mavs reached the Western Conference Finals in 2022. They fell short, however, and Brunson signed with the New York Knicks in free agency.
Mavericks vs. Celtics NBA Finals
Since then, Porzingis has joined the Celtics, and Kyrie Irving is Doncic's new co-star in Dallas. Doncic and Irving have silenced their doubters en route to the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance since 2011.
Much of the attention and storylines will revolve around Irving and the Celtics, as his time in Boston was far from ideal as well. But the underlying storyline will be Porzingis and his history with the Mavs. Doncic is surely hoping to shut down any added drama with his comments about his relationship with the Celtics big man.
Still, the series projects to be a competitive clash given all of the storylines. Doncic trying to win his first NBA title is a major story. Jason Kidd and Joe Mazzulla are trying to guide their squads to championships for the first time as head coaches. Jayson Tatum is building an impressive legacy in Boston that can be cemented with an NBA Finals victory.
The 2024 NBA Finals will certainly be exciting. Luka Doncic is prepared to tune out the noise and focus on winning four more games.
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