Photo by Luka Dakskobler/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

What Nico Harrison really said in 2022 about Luka Doncic’s conditioning, everything changed

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Nov 28, 2025 10:30 AM ET

Nico Harrison’s comments about Luka Doncic in 2022 have recently resurfaced, and it’s hard to tell where everything went wrong.

The NBA world will likely never forget the day the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers in one of the most surprising moves in basketball history.

In the months since the trade, things got so bad for the Dallas Mavericks that Governor Patrick Dumont fired Nico Harrison as GM of the team.

Did Nico Harrison deserve to be fired?

The reported reason for the trade was Harrison’s frustration with Doncic’s conditioning, something that has aged poorly because of the latter’s transformation, and the injury issues from Anthony Davis.

What makes this decision even more perplexing is how Harrison flipped the narrative, given what he said about Doncic just a few years ago.

Photo by Luka Dakskobler/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Nico Harrison defended Luka Doncic from criticisms about his conditioning

Back in an interview with Mark Medina in 2022, then-Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison was asked about the criticism surrounding Luka Doncic’s conditioning.

Given the nature of Doncic’s exit, it was surprising to hear how Nico Harrison defended his star player from these criticisms.

“I don’t know. It depends. It’s a long season. He ended the season playing big-time minutes and meaningful minutes.

“He was clearly in shape at the end of the season. So, I think it’s a little overstated. There are different body types in basketball. He has a unique body type.”

Luka Doncic looking to move on from Nico Harrison and Dallas Mavericks

Once the firing of Nico Harrison was made official, fans were eager to hear Luka Doncic’s reaction to the decision from the Dallas Mavericks.

When asked about the situation, Doncic admitted he was focused on the LA Lakers and just wanted to move on from everything that happened in February.

Luka Doncic wants to follow in the footsteps of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James

Kobe brought so many championships here. LeBron brought a championship here. So I want to be the next one to do that, for sure. I met Kobe, I’m playing with LeBron, just as a little kid in Slovenia, I just wanted to play basketball. Just wanted to touch the NBA. And now I’m playing with the best.
Luka Doncic

Some Dallas Mavericks fans hoped this meant Doncic was leaving a door open to return to the team in the future.

However, one Mavericks expert shut down a potential Doncic return. For now, Mavericks fans will have to settle for seeing Luka Doncic face their team, with their first opportunity of the season coming tonight.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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