The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings 107-103 on Friday night. Kings legend and former vice president of basketball operations and general manager Vlade Divac was treated to a courtside seat at the game, but he probably would have preferred to stay home. When Luka Doncic hit a free throw with four seconds left to end the game, the Mavs star turned and said something to Divac as he ran back to the bench.
Video showed Doncic telling people on the bench that the Kings should have drafted him. And as he left the court following the final horn, he pointed at Divac and repeated his words.
Divac was the Kings' general manager in 2018 when the team replaced Doncic and drafted Marvin Bagley III. Doncic is a perennial All-Star who won Rookie of the Year and led the Mavericks to the playoffs three times, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2022. That was the same season the Kings finally gave up. Traded Bagley to the Detroit Pistons.
As if Doncic's reminder of that draft mistake wasn't enough, the Kings missed a golden opportunity to inch the game closer to the Mavericks, who are currently the No. 6 seed in the West. As of now, the Kings are headed to the play-in tournament.
Doncic had 26 points and 12 assists, one assist shy of a triple-double. The Mavericks are 10-1 in their last 11 games, but their only loss came when Doncic didn't play. Suffice it to say, Dallas doesn't regret their choice.
Stephen Douglas is a writer for The Big Lead.
