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Jim Gaffigan Nails Perfectly-Timed Luka Doncic Trade Joke During Grammy Awards

Even music's biggest night was in on the joke.

Brigid Kennedy

Comedian Jim Gaffigan at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025.
Comedian Jim Gaffigan at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025. / Oh No He Didn't / Twitter / Screenshot
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If you had any doubt as to how monumental the Anthony Davis-Luka Dončić trade really is, the fact that it was mentioned on Sunday night's Grammy Awards should suffice.

To back up, the entire athletic world was gobsmacked Saturday night into Sunday morning, when news broke that the Los Angeles Lakers had traded 31-year-old big man Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in return for superstar and presumed Mavs lifer Luka Doncic. Even players couldn't believe it.

It was the type of bombshell so large, it almost immediately infiltrated pop culture. Even those who don't follow the NBA were aware something massive had happened. And if they weren't, well, they probably are now, especially if they tuned into music's biggest night.

During the 67th Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, comedian Jim Gaffigan briefly replaced host Trevor Noah and subsequently delivered the perfect trade-related quip: "During the break, uhhh, I don't know to say this ... Trevor Noah was traded to the Dallas Mavericks."

The room immediately burst out laughing.

Watch that moment below:

It was the perfect joke to cap a long day of trade news, which also saw Sacramento Kings point guard De'Aaron Fox move to the San Antonio Spurs, and Chicago Bulls' Zach LaVine to the Kings.

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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.

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