**ROYSE CITY, TEXAS** — Nearly two years after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić, a Texas police officer has apparently identified the man responsible, established a motive, and decided the investigation is closed.
The suspect: LeBron James.
Newly released police bodycam footage captured a real September encounter between officers and former NBA champion J.R. Smith, during which a routine conversation about basketball somehow turned into an unofficial investigation of the most traumatic transaction in Mavericks history.
After Smith mentioned winning championships alongside Kyrie Irving and James, one officer referred to LeBron as “He who shall not be named.”
“He stole Luka from us,” the officer declared.
The officer then confirmed he was still mad, providing compelling evidence that the five stages of grief have apparently been replaced in Dallas by one very long stage of blaming LeBron.
James has previously said he had no involvement in the February 2025 trade, a detail investigators have reportedly dismissed as inconvenient to their theory.
The actual police encounter involved a separate arrest warrant connected to a serious alleged domestic violence incident. That matter has no connection to the Dončić trade, and Smith is presumed innocent.
The basketball discussion, however, demonstrated that some Dallas fans remain prepared to reopen the emotional case at any moment, including while performing entirely unrelated professional duties.
No evidence has emerged that James orchestrated the trade.
Fortunately, evidence has never been the strongest part of a good NBA conspiracy theory.
The Mavericks traded Luka in February 2025. Nearly two years later, Dallas fans have identified their suspect, established a motive, and remain completely uninterested in hearing that LeBron wasn't involved.
