What LeBron, AD Said In Lakers' Group Chat When Bronny James Shared Luka Dončić Trade: Report

According to a new book from sportswriter Yaron Weitzman, Bronny was the one to drop the news.
Davis was sent to the Mavericks as part of the bombshell trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers.
Davis was sent to the Mavericks as part of the bombshell trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

We will soon be a year removed from the bombshell Luka Dončić-Anthony Davis trade that shook the entirety of the NBA, but we're learning more about it every day.

Case in point: according to a newly-released book from sportswriter Yaron Weitzman, Bronny James, LeBron James's son and teammate, was actually the one to share Shams Charania's now infamous tweet in the Lakers' group chat that fateful February night.

Per Weitzman, and via a write-up from The New York Post, Bronny, like many others in the sports world, wasn't sure whether Charania had been hacked, considering no one thought this trade possible.

In response to the news, Davis is said to have fired back, "Did these n----- just trade me?" He then apparently wished his teammates luck and exited the chat.

It was allegedly at that point that LeBron sent back just three letters: "WTF."

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Weitzman's account is somewhat similar to a retelling of the moment by Lakers guard Austin Reaves, who has said previously that he thought Davis was pranking the team with news of the trade. By that, it is not clear whether he meant that Davis was the first one to mention the trade in the chat, or if he thought the "prank" was Davis's reply. Either way, he does have memories of the team discussing the moment in a text thread that blew up his phone.

All in all, an insanely consequential and league-altering moment that will surely be excavated and examined at all angles for years to come. Weitzman's examination is just the latest.


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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.