Luka Doncic answers Chandler Parsons’ remarks regarding Kristaps Porzingis’ “beef”

Before the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics square off in the NBA Finals in 2024, there are plenty of headlines to talk about, but one subject in particular has generated a lot of interest. Chandler Parsons, a former player who is now a commentator, claimed that former Mavericks teammates Luka Dončić and Kristaps Porziņģis, who is expected to make his injury return in Game 1 for the Celtics, had some “marriage issues.”

Speaking on FanDuelTV’s “Run It Back,” Parsons claimed that there is a “real beef” between Porziņģis and Dončić and that the latter doesn’t enjoy playing with the former.
“In Dallas, they don’t like Porzingis… There is a real animosity between them; Luka did not enjoy playing with him,” Parsons remarked.

The remarks attracted a lot of attention and enhanced the intrigue of Kyrie Irving against his old team. But when asked about Parsons’ remarks on Tuesday, Dončić quickly refuted them and said he’s only spoken to the former star “maybe twice” in his life, as reported by Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News.
Dončić told reporters, “That’s why I don’t watch a lot of that, because people don’t know.” Chandler Parsons and I may have spoken just twice in my lifetime, so I’m not sure how he might be aware of it. However, KP and I get along well.”

As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon noted, Porziņďis also addressed the subject and declared that there is no “ill will” between him and Dončić. It just didn’t work out, and it wasn’t ideal for us to play together. That’s all there is to it. They don’t seem to have any ill will toward you. Without a doubt, [there is not] on my end. “I don’t think it should be,” stated Porziņķis. “It just didn’t work out, but I have nothing but love for Dallas and for my teammates and for everybody there.”
Porziņđis played 134 games throughout the regular season over his three seasons with Dallas. During that time, he shot 44.8 percent from the floor and averaged 20.0 points and 8.8 rebounds a game.

Together with the Mavericks, he qualified for the playoffs twice in 2020 and 2021. The Mavericks participated in ten postseason games during that two-year period, and Porziņćis averaged 16.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.