Mavs' CEO drops disrespectful Luka comparison in closed media session

Drew Bishop

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Mavs' CEO drops disrespectful Luka comparison in closed media session image

It keeps getting worse for the Dallas Mavericks. 

In a new development of the Luka trade saga, Mavericks' GM Nico Harrison and CEO Rick Welts held a private media session on Tuesday. They invited select members of the press there, with no phones or recorders allowed, to discuss the deal that rocked the sports world.

Now that it's over, some writers who were invited are sharing what they learned. One shocking statement that was revealed was a comment from Welts, comparing Luka Doncic to former Warriors' guard Monta Ellis.

Welts, who was the president of the Warriors from 2011-2021, drew similarities from Golden State acquiring a big man like Andrew Bogut to Dallas picking up Anthony Davis. In the analogy, Luka would be Monta Ellis who the Warriors traded to Milwaukee for Bogut. Welts pointed out that the team improved after the trade and it allowed Steph Curry to flourish as a young player.

There's just one problem: Luka, a young superstar, fits much more as a comparison to Curry than to Ellis. 

As expected, this comment only made the Mavericks' fan base even more irate about the state of the front office.

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And without recorders or video evidence, the comparison can be thrown around without any context that could help Welts. The private media session is just another choice in a string of bad decisions that is destroying any trust that fans would have in the Mavs' front office. 

There will be more interesting moments released from this presser, but comparing a superstar like Luka Doncic to a complimentary piece like Monta Ellis could be the most egregious statement of the day.

Drew Bishop

Drew Bishop is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. After graduating from the Klein College of Media and Communication at Temple University, he worked in local media in Sandusky, Ohio at BCSN and the Sandusky Register, freelancing as a reporter, broadcast director and play-by-play commentator for high school sports. He then moved on to KRIS 6 News where he serves as a producer in the news department.