Much of the talk heading into the NBA Finals has centered on the tension between Kyrie Irving and Boston Celtics fans, but one former Dallas Mavericks player thinks more should be made about the “actual beef” that Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis have. Doncic insists that beef does not exist, however.
Porzingis played for the Mavericks for two-plus seasons after Dallas acquired him in a 2019 trade with the New York Knicks. The hope was that he and Doncic could form a dynamic duo and contend for championships. That did not happen, as Porzingis battled injuries and Dallas lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of his two full seasons with the team.
Chandler Parsons, who played for the Mavericks from 2014-2016, said on FanDuel TV’s “Run it Back” Monday that Porzingis is disliked in Dallas. Parsons also claimed there is bad blood between Doncic and Porzingis.
“It will be way more violent towards Kyrie Irving in Boston, no doubt. But don’t get it twisted, they do not like Porzingis in Dallas,” Parsons said. “Luka did not like playing with him. There is an actual beef there. It’s gonna be every time he touches the ball he’s getting booed. … I think that’s known. It didn’t work out.”
“They do not like Porzingis in Dallas… Luka did not like playing with him, there is an actual beef there” 👀@ChandlerParsons on Kristaps Porzingis playing his former team in the NBA Finals 🍿 pic.twitter.com/nDUvjnVOLc
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) June 3, 2024
Parsons did not play with Doncic or Porzingis, but some felt he might be in the know since he was once a member of the team. Doncic was asked on Tuesday about Parsons’ comments, and he laughed them off.
“You see, that’s why I don’t watch a lot of that, because people don’t know,” Doncic said. “I’ve talked to Chandler Parsons maybe twice in my life, so I don’t know how he would know that. But, me and KP have a good relationship. I don’t know why people say otherwise.”
For what it’s worth, Porzingis admitted in a 2022 interview that he and Doncic could have communicated better. Porzingis said he was disappointed with how things went and that “there were situations we should have just talked to each other.” That does not mean he and Doncic dislike one another.
Porzingis probably will be booed in Dallas, as his tenure with the Mavs was ultimately a disappointment. Doncic clearly does not want to add any fuel to that, just as Irving is making an effort to keep the hostility between him and Celtics fans to a minimum.
H/T New York Post
