Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic have always had a strong relationship with each other. The Dallas Mavericks legend helped Doncic get acclimated to being the face of the franchise, and Nowitzki has long been a mentor to the young star. That is why even after the Mavs traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Dirk is still in his corner.
Nobody in Dallas saw a Doncic trade coming, including Dirk. He was as shocked as the rest of the NBA world, which is why when news of the trade broke, Nowitzki immediately got in contact with Luka.
Of course, I immediately texted Luka. At first, he didn’t reply—understandable, he was probably a bit overwhelmed. In English, you’d say he had a lot going on,” Nowitzki told Silke Mayer, his sister, during a German interview on 41 Campus.
“A day later, he finally responded. I think he was pretty emotional. He didn’t see it coming at all. And then I thought, it would be nice if I supported him at his first game.
“He hadn’t played for a while—he was injured himself. So I flew to L.A. I just wanted to show him that our friendship still stands. We played together for a year—my last year—and I always tried to help him, be a mentor to him these past few years.
“I wanted to show him that I’m here for him, even though he’s somewhere else now, that we have a friendship, that I’m still there for him and his family.
Nowitzki was one of many celebrities and former players in attendance for Doncic’s debut with the Lakers on Feb. 10 against the Utah Jazz. Doncic helped lead the Lakers to a 133-113 win with 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 24 minutes.
After the game, Luka showed his appreciation for Dirk supporting him, citing that it was an amazing experience seeing him in Los Angeles.
“[It meant] a lot, man,” Doncic stated. “For him to show up, [he’s] a great friend. Always looked up to him, [he’s a] great mentor. For him to show up [and] fly all the way from Dallas was amazing. I really, really appreciated it.
Doncic has been great with the Lakers alongside LeBron James, and he has a chance to compete for a championship in the playoffs this season. The Mavericks, on the other hand, have seen their chances of finding success drop drastically due to an adductor injury to Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving going down with a torn ACL.
Although he was supposed to be the future of the franchise in Dallas, this is no longer the case for Doncic.
While many have been quick to point out the money that the Mavericks would have needed to commit to Luka to keep him for the foreseeable future, Nowitzki assured everyone that this was not a motivating factor for Doncic.
“He could have signed a Supermax deal with the Mavs. You can only sign that type of contract with the team you’ve been with for multiple years. But after this trade, he lost that opportunity.
He can’t sign the Supermax anymore, which means this trade could have cost him over $100 million,” Nowitzki explained. “But at the end of the day, Luka isn’t someone who plays just for money. I don’t think this trade hit him hard in that way.
As far as Doncic’s future with the Lakers, it appears as he will be the face of the franchise long after LeBron James eventually retires. Luka may no longer be able to get a supermax deal due to this trade, but Nowitzki kept his answer on Doncic remaining in Los Angeles brief.
Brett Siegel is a credentialed NBA insider and reporter for ClutchPoints. He previously covered the NBA for Fastbreak on SI FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, and worked with Louisville Basketball. Brett resides in New Jersey after receiving his degree from Louisville
