It can be a delicate dance, when it comes to NBA teams employing international players, because most of those players feel a strong loyalty to their national teams and an obligation to don their jerseys whenever asked.

Concerns over his conditioning and eating habits reportedly caused Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison to be hesitant to give Doncic a lucrative supermax extension and subsequently trade him to the Lakers in one of the most stunning blockbusters in recent memory.

Video resurfaced of new Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart defending his new teammate Luka Doncic at age 16.