Almost two years after the Dallas Mavericks stunned the basketball world by trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, some fans apparently still haven’t recovered.
And newly released police bodycam footage has provided one of the most bizarre examples yet: A Texas police officer blaming LeBron James for Dončić’s departure from Dallas while speaking with former NBA champion J.R. Smith during a September arrest.
The incident occurred on September 28 in Royse City, Texas, where officers stopped Smith while investigating an outstanding arrest warrant.
As the officers checked his information, the conversation unexpectedly turned toward basketball. Smith explained that he had played in the NBA and won two championships, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016 and another with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
When an officer asked whether he had won a championship alongside Kyrie Irving, Smith clarified that he had played with both Irving and James.
That was apparently all it took to reopen an old wound.
“He who shall not be named,” one officer responded, referring to James.
“Not a fan?” Smith asked.
“He stole Luka from us, man. That was all him,” the officer complained.
The officer, who appeared to be a frustrated Mavericks supporter, continued expressing his displeasure with the blockbuster trade.
“I’m still mad,” he admitted.
Bodycam footage shows a police officer complaining about LeBron James and the Luka Dončić trade before arresting JR Smith
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The officer’s reaction demonstrates just how deeply the controversial trade affected Dallas basketball fans.
The lighthearted conversation ended when police confirmed Smith’s outstanding warrant. The former NBA guard was arrested in connection with an alleged domestic assault incident earlier in September and was subsequently released. His attorney has maintained his presumption of innocence and expressed confidence in the legal process.
