The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings 107-103 on Friday night. Kings great Vlade Divac, the former vice president of basketball operations and general manager, treated himself to courtside tickets for the game but probably wishes he had stayed at home. With four seconds remaining, Luka Doncic sank a free throw to seal the game, then turned and yelled something to Divac before heading back to the bench.
A video surfaced showing Doncic telling folks on the bench that the Kings should have drafted him. He then continued to point at Divac and repeat himself as he went off the court after the final whistle.
In 2018, Divac was the Kings’ general manager, and the franchise passed on Doncic in favor of Marvin Bagley III. Doncic went on to win Rookie of the Year and is a regular All-Star who has led the Mavericks to three postseason appearances, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2022. That was the season in which the Kings finally gave up and dealt Bagley to the Detroit Pistons.
As if Doncic’s reminder of that selection error wasn’t enough, the Kings squandered a golden opportunity to pull one game closer to the Mavericks, who are presently the No. 6 seed in the West. The Kings are currently preparing for the Play-In Tournament.
Doncic ended with 26 points and 12 assists, coming one assist shy of a triple-double. The Mavericks are 10-1 in their last 11 games, with their lone loss occurring when Doncic did not play. Dallas did not regret their decision.