SI

Luka Doncic Doing Push-Ups With Nico Harrison in Background Was Ultimate Irony

Oh, the irony.

Tim Capurso

Doncic doing push-ups on the court.
Doncic doing push-ups on the court. / Screengrab Twitter @bballforever_
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Whether it was leaked intentionally or made it to the ears of an NBA insider, Dallas Mavericks' general manager Nico Harrison's concerns about Luka Doncic's weight management and his seemingly lackadaisical approach to conditioning were made public in the aftermath of the blockbuster trade that sent the five-time All-Star to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in February.

Doncic showed out in his first game against his former team since the trade Tuesday night—with Harrison in attendance no less. The guard recorded a triple double in the Lakers' 107–99 win over his former team.

One moment during Doncic's pregame warmup stuck out, purely for its hilariously coincidental nature, as well as its irony in light of the Mavericks' criticisms of the now-Lakers star's conditioning.

Doncic dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups after a missed shot—with Harrison watching in the background.

Oh, the irony. To be fair, it's entirely possible that this is an exercise Doncic frequently performs as part of his warmups. But the fact that he was engaging in some form of non-basketball physical activity while the man who questioned his commitment to said non-basketball physical activities was seemingly looking on in the background was so perfect it was almost sitcom-esque.

Well done, NBA script writers.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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