Cardinals fans can relate to the devastation Dallas feels losing Luka Doncic

Losing a star player can suck the life out of a fanbase in an instant. But losing a generational player in their prime? That is a level of devastation that sits with fans for decades to come.

As Dallas Mavericks fans try to wrap their minds around the truly shocking move their front office made by trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, I could not help but think back to when the St. Louis Cardinals lost their franchise icon in Albert Pujols.

I'll never forget December 8th, 2011. I was 13 years old (sorry to those who are rolling their eyes already at my youth), and I just couldn't believe it. Pujols had just won his second World Series with the Cardinals, he was on pace to possibly be the greatest baseball player of all time, and the young John Mozeliak and DeWitt ownership group really let him walk?

Granted, the situations were a bit different. Pujols was a free agent, and while I think many of us refused to believe he would actually leave, teams like the Marlins, Reds, Cubs, and of course, the Angels posed real threats to the Cardinals retaining their truly generational talent.

And sure enough, like Mavericks fans today, Cardinals fans had to wrap their minds around their superstar heading to California, their homegrown hero now gone to be in a city filled with stars.

There more comparisons here, though. The Cardinals were literally the reigning World Series champions. The Mavericks just lost in the NBA Finals last year, and while the team was not performing up to expectations this year, Doncic has shown already that he can overcome the odds in the playoffs. Both Dallas and St. Louis have a history of striking out on stars in free agency, so losing one of their own is something they cannot afford to have happen.

And yet, both franchises willingly let an all-time great walk out their door. Nico Harrison sent Doncic to Los Angeles, citing concerns about paying him a max contract due to a lack of conditioning care for his body, while Mozeliak allowed Pujols to end up in the American League after their own concerns about handing out a $200+ million long-term deal to a first baseman coming off an age-31 season.

Cardinals fans debate all the time whether or not it was a good move to let Pujols walk. The future Hall of Famer was a disappointment with the Angels, but would things really have played out that poorly for him in St. Louis? We'll never know.

And while the Cardinals did keep winning without Pujols (three straight NLCS appearances in the three years following his departure, plus a trip back to the World Series in 2013), they still haven't won a World Series since he left. Sure, we got that amazing reunion season in 2022, but who knows the kind of history and resume we missed out on with Pujols in Anaheim?

Check-in on the Mavericks fans in your life today. Let them know you're there for them, Cardinals fans. Few can relate to the feeling of a talent like that leaving your city. Sure, Luka still has a ways to go in order to compare to the accolades Pujols has, and likely never will, but just go ask any basketball pundits you know - this trade is about as devastating of a move for a fanbase as you can imagine.

Well, you don't have to imagine, Cardinals Nation. You lived it already.