Last season, Luka Doncic’s partnership with teammate Kyrie Irving didn’t go as planned, as they were only able to share the court together in 16 games and the Mavericks missed out on the playoffs. Although there are many reasons for this, the most obvious was the lack of time to build chemistry between each other.

Just as Dallas traded the veteran point guard from Brooklyn in February, the team fell in the standings. As both stars lost time due to injuries, they went 5-11 in the matches they played together. The roster returned to training camp this past Wednesday and Luka guaranteed that now they should have enough time to bond.

“Last year he came in the middle of there season and we didn’t have much time. We immediately started playing games. It takes time to create chemistry, especially on the field, so we haven’t had the entire training camp and I mean preseason. So I think it’s going to get a lot better,” Doncic assured.

Luka Doncic x Kyrie Irving connection 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/o2G6ukmvEI

— Backcourt Alerts (@BackcourtAlerts) September 27, 2023

In his fifth campaign in Texas, the Slovenian star averaged 32.4 points, 8.6 rebounds and a career-high 8.0 assists per contest. As for Irving, he appeared in 20 games for the Mavs and achieved 27.0 points and 6.0 assists per game.

Despite the fact that the squad averaged over 119 points pero 100 possessions when they shared the floor, Dallas lost 18 out of their last 25 matches of regular season. Their coach Jason Kidd is well aware that good things take time.

“We like things to happen right away, but we’ll grow that relationship,” he shared. “There is a relationship, and so they’ve had the summer and now they have a preseason to bond. But that’s the big question: can they coexist? And it’s that they don’t coexist, it is the group around them. I think that sometimes we are misinformed. If you have the right pieces in place, they will coexist, and after the first day they coexisted at a high level”.

Doncic, on the other hand, knows that he must lead by example for the rest of his teammates.

“The two leader of the team, what we do, the two of us, other people will follow. We have to set an example, and that’s everyone. It’s not just us. We have to play. there are five players on the field. We’re going to play against everyone, so everyone has to help each other,” he said this week.

The Slovenian guard addressed his injury and revealed he’s waiting for a more precise diagnosis, but didn’t seem to worried about it

Suns legend Charles Barley has always felt that the Suns franchise wasn’t loving Deandre Ayton’s game. Now that he’s off to Portland after this Wednesday’s three-team deal that is taking superstar Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, the “NBA on TNT” analyst can finally weigh on the team’s decision to trade their former starting center for Jusuf Nurkic.

“Something was going on with Deandre Ayton,” Barkley reacted to the trade. “It goes back to there was an issue with Monty Williams and Deandre Ayton. Now clearly, it must have been something else going on in the organization. They clearly just wanted to get rid of him.”

Even though the 60-year-old admitted he was “not upset” with Phoenix’s choice and they remain a top-title contender for next season, he does believe that the Bucks are the new favorites to conquer a new ring.

“With the Suns, something was going on with Deandre Ayton. It goes back to there was an issue with Monty Williams and Deandre Ayton. Now it must have been something else going on in the organization. (Phoenix) clearly just wanted to get rid of him.” Charles Barkley on trade #Suns pic.twitter.com/iAuNsVR4cG

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) September 27, 2023

Last year was a good example of what Barkley is referring to. After one of Deandre’s best seasons in Arizona, they could of offered their big man a five-year, $180 million deal on the first day of 2022 free agency. However, instead they allowed him to enter restricted free agency and later matched a four-year, $133 million offer sheet sent by the Indiana Pacers.

“I’ve come to understand that this is a business,” Ayton said after he finally signed the deal to stay in Phoenix last year. “So, I was more anxious to know the end of the result so I could focus, move on and just get back to work. I just treated everything like a business. Just keep being professional, approach everything with professionalism and not looking too deep into it.”

It is possible that this campaign the Suns have the best team on the floor in franchise history, especially after they acquired former Wizards star Bradley Beal, and can place the three-time All-Star next to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

Also, Phoenix hired coach Frank Vogel, who has an championship-winning mentality and has led squads to the top defensive ratings in three different NBA seasons since 2012. Also, the team added wing Yuta Wannabe from Brooklyn and veteran star Eric Gordon, who is a former Sixth Man of the Year.

The Arizona press are still debating whether letting Ayton go was a ‘good or bad trade’, as they weigh into possible scenarios

Just as Dame’s trade was being announced by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski this Wednesday, the Arizona Sports panel was live on air and immediately went into details about the package deals involving the Suns.

“The Suns are selling low on Deandre Ayton,” said Kellan Olson on the podcast. “There’s a decent chance that Deandre will kill it in Portland next season and the Suns will look foolish for doing this, rather quickly. There’s also a chance that it doesn’t really work out in Portland, there as well, and all the flaws and inconsistencies in Deandre’s game in the past 5 years,  are better off being somewhere off else and the Suns benefit from it with some addition by subtraction.”

In the video above, check out their entire discussion over the arrival of Jusuf Nurkic and Ayton’s departure.

“I’m somewhere in the middle, but clearly they might bet borderline high on the court by the breath of fresh air that they are gonna feel now, not having to wonder if their franchise center is gonna be locked in on a night-to-night basis,” reporter Olson concluded.

Here are the five most expensive NBA jerseys ever sold. Collectors and investors enjoy purchasing game-worn items for a logical list of reasons – to celebrate the athlete’s legacy, a rare championship moment, a history-making moment, or just for an iconic performance. Another jersey made the list on Wednesday night. Check out the most expensive NBA jerseys ever sold, as of 2023.

5.) Michael Jordan’s 1986-87 Rookie Bulls Jersey — $480,000

Heritage Auctions

This Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls 1986-87 game-worn jersey was sported by His Airness when he posted a 56-point game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 24, 1987. In October 2020, the jersey sold for $480,000 at Heritage Auctions.

Additionally, it was first featured on the cover of the “One Man Gang” issue of Sports Illustrated, and M.J. reported wore it during his final regular-season game where he scored 61 points and reached the 3,000-career point mark to join Wilt Chamberlain.

4.) LeBron James’ 2013 NBA Finals Game 7 Heat Jersey — $3.68 million

Sotheby’s

In late January, LeBron James’ Miami Heat jersey from Game 7 of the 2013 NBA Finals sold for $3.68 million at Sotheby’s. This is the four-time MVP’s highest-selling game-worn jersey to date.

Furthermore, the 19-time All-Star’s No. 6 Heat jersey is the third-most valuable game-worn jersey ever sold at Sotheby’s. As a matter of fact, it was purchased by a private collector, per TMZ Sports.

“Today’s tremendous result comes at a pivotal time in LeBron James’ career, where he is in arm’s reach of clenching the all-time points record, one of the NBA’s most revered accolades,” Sotheby’s officials said in a statement.

3.) Kobe Bryant’s 1996-97 Lakers Rookie Jersey — $3.69 million

Goldin Auctions

Next, Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers 1996-97 rookie jersey sold for $3.69 million at Goldin Auctions’s May Elite Auction in May 2021. This came a week after the NBA legend was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. At the time, it was the most expensive basketball jersey in league history.

Moreover, the gold and purple home jersey also features the Hall of Famer’s signature on the frontside No. 8. Although he wore No. 8 for the first half of his career, he switched to No. 24 before the 2006-07 season.

Not to mention, this jersey was bought by Bob Duggan, the Chairman of the Board of Genius Inc., Pulse Biosciences and Summit therapeutics.

2.) Wilt Chamberlain’s 1972 NBA Finals Game 5 Lakers Jersey — $4.9 million

Sotheby’s

1.) Michael Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 Bulls Jersey — $10.1 million

Sotheby’s

In September 2022, the Michael Jordan 1998 NBA Finals game-worn jersey was expected to sell for about $5 million at Sotheby’s. The auction house declared the jersey a “high-value item.” In fact, no one was expecting the final price of this sale. As it turns out, the jersey sold for $10.1 million. 

Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey is from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. The date of the game was June 3, 1998, and the Jazz won 88-85 at Delta Center.

In a statement released by Sotheby’s, a spokesperson said: “Jordan’s 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 jersey is among the most highly-desired pieces of sports memorabilia, and the present example is one of just two Finals jerseys to ever appear at auction, from any of his six championships.”

As of September 2023, this is the most expensive NBA jersey ever sold.

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