Luka Dončić: “I didn’t do enough. I have to make some decisions. We had a great season.”

On June 18, in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics 88-106 away, ending their series with a 1-4 record and finishing as runners-up. After the game, Luka Dončić, the standout player for the Mavericks, gave an interview, acknowledging that although they didn’t win the championship, they had a fantastic season. He apologized for not performing better and expressed his intention to make changes. Here’s the transcript of his interview:

When asked about the sadness of the loss, Dončić replied, “It doesn’t matter if I’m frustrated or sad now. I tried my best out there, but it wasn’t enough.” Speaking about the Mavericks’ future, he said, “I feel good. We made some great adjustments. We’ve been together for five months. I’m proud of every player who stepped on the court, all the coaches, and the behind-the-scenes staff. Obviously, we didn’t win the Finals, but we had a fantastic season, and I’m proud of each and every one of them.” Regarding his participation with the national team, Dončić stated, “I don’t want to talk about what’s next. I have to make some decisions, just focusing on getting healthier.” Reflecting on what can be learned from the champion Celtics, he said, “They’re a great team that has been together for a long time. They’ve been through everything. So we just have to look at how they play, their maturity. They have some amazing players. We can learn something from them. We have to keep fighting next season.” Interestingly, Kyrie Irving tweeted after the game, “Tribe, no matter what happens, we stay unified. Through the highs and lows, wins and losses, successes and failures. Hold your heads high. This mission is greater than us. I love you all!” In this game, Luka Dončić played 43 minutes, shooting 12-of-25, including 2-of-9 from three-point range, and 2-of-5 from the free-throw line, finishing with 28 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. With a total of 625 points in this playoff run, he surpassed Dirk Nowitzki’s team record of 620 points in the 2005-06 season!