Luka Doncic and Dirk Nowitzki have a special friendship dating back to the one season they played together in Dallas. When Luka was traded from the Mavericks to the Lakers, the whole world was in shock. Now, we find out Dirk was so stunned by it, that he had to pause everything during his vacation.
Luka Doncic Trade Ruined Dirk’s Vacation in the Maldives
Dirk is a Mavericks legend. In a recent podcast, he revealed that he had to put a family vacation on hold when he first learned of the Luka trade. In the newest episode of 41 Campus podcast, he said,
“It was literally the last day, and I was in my room, about to pack my things. Then suddenly, my phone exploded with calls and messages from all over the world. I immediately went on Twitter, read the news, and at first, I was just shocked—like everyone else. I don’t think anyone saw it coming that the Mavs would ever trade Luka. So for me, it was totally unexpected, completely out of nowhere. I was so stunned that I just put everything aside. We were supposed to go for a quick lunch with the family before flying out, but instead, I sat in my room for an hour, scrolling through X, trying to figure out if it was real.”
Doncic’s departure from Dallas is one of the most unpopular moves in league history, not just Dallas history. Mavs fans still cannot process the trade. They continue with their chants “Fire Nico”. Some Mavericks players have talked about how the Fire Nico chants are making it worse for the players still on the team.
Luka Doncic and Dirk’s Friendship
We have to remember that Dirk was in attendance for Luka’s Lakers debut. To say Doncic’s departure was unpopular and shocking would be an understatement. We saw mock funerals and calls for Nico’s firing. Dirk has talked about how he will always be a Mavs fan, but he is also a Luka fan. After Luka’s Lakers debut, Dirk posted on social media, saying,
“I will always be a Mav for life, but had to come support my guy 77 Luka Doncic in the first game of his new chapter.”
After the game, Luka also talked about the support from Dirk. He said,
“A lot, man. For him to show up. Great friend. Always looked up to him. Great mentor. So for him to show up and fly all the way from Dallas was amazing, and I really, really appreciate it.”
Over the years, Luka Doncic and Dirk have talked a lot about their friendship. In 2022, Dirk released his book, The Great Nowitzki: Basketball and the Meaning of Life. Talking about his relationship with Luka, he said he is not Luka’s mentor, but more of his “elderly friend if that makes sense”.
The two have joked about each other over the years. Here is a fun fact. When Luka was drafted, Dirk was initially skeptical about Luka’s ability to make it in the NBA. Yet, after watching him handle the pressure and put on a show, he and the team begin believing in him. Eventually, they formed a great bond. Speaking on All The Smoke Podcast, Dirk joked, “My role with him, I guess we’re friends, we’re cool. When I am in town, we got to dinner”.
During Dirk’s last season with the Mavericks, Luka averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.1 steals on 42.7% shooting. Dirk averaged only 7.3 points per game in 15 minutes per game in his final NBA season.
Photo credit: © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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