Monday night’s Clippers-Mavericks game may be remembered for when head coach Doc Rivers did when he stopped the game so the fans could celebrate the legend that is Dirk Nowitzki, but there was a moment earlier that’ll most definitely be remembered for quite some time.
During the first quarter of that game, Clippers announcers Ralph Lawler and Don MacLean reminisced about a draft day trade that sent Dirk to Dallas in 1998, in exchange for Robert “Tractor” Traylor to Milwaukee.
Lawler and MacLean couldn’t pass up the opportunity to joke about Traylor.
MacLean: I guess Milwaukee didn’t see it either, they drafted [Nowitzki] and then traded him to Dallas draft day, for Robert “Tractor” Traylor. Who’s he playing for now?
Lawler: The, uh, Detroit YMCA over-40 league.
That may have been a funny joke if not for the fact that Traylor had passed away from a heart attack way back in 2011.
Maclean and Lawler would soon be delivering apologies after finding out that information.
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Lawler: We made light earlier that [Nowitzki] was traded from Milwaukee to Dallas in exchange for Robert “Tractor” Traylor. I was wondering what Robert “Tractor” Traylor was doing today—totally slipping my mind and I guess Don’s mind that he passed away a couple of years ago. So, may he rest in peace and our apologies.
MacLean: Yeah, apologies. I didn’t realize that.
