The first showdown between old teammates Kyrie Irving and ex-Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić occurred one night ago. Many had dubbed it the “Revenge Game,” but that game might come later in the season when the Los Angeles Lakersvisit Dallas. It will be a homecoming for Luka, and if there were emotions last night, imagine the level of emotions Luka will carry into the April 9th matchup. For Kyrie, facing Luka was, as he admitted, “weird and awkward.” In Luka’s case, he admitted to not knowing what was going on early in the game. The two showed their feelings toward one another pre-game and post-game, and it’s obvious both share a close relationship. That relationship was something that Irving reflected on after the night ended.
Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving Dives Into Bond with Luka Dončić
Ex-Luka Dončic Teammate Kyrie Irving Reflects On Time Spent As Mavericks Duo and Overseas Camaraderie
The bond between Irving and Dončić really started to run deep during their finals run last season. It was their first full season together, as Kyrie was brought over mid-season the year before. Now that Luka is in LA, they only had one full season together as teammates. Suffice it to say that it was a fairly successful run despite the final’s loss. Their bond carried over to life outside the arena, including Kyrie getting the Madrid experience from Luka’s eyes and perspective. The Slovenian played in Madrid before coming to the NBA and traveled there again as the Mavericks began their 2024-25 preseason there. After the loss to the Lakers, Irving spoke about Luka, their relationship, and why he felt he needed to take responsibility for protecting his former teammate.
“It was a lot of fun. We went to Madrid, we started preseason in Abu Dhabi. When you’re on the road and you get to know someone, their family, introducing everybody to your friends. Madrid was very special because that’s where he played and I got to meet his friends and his support system out there.”
“I think that carried over into the season and he was in great spirits coming into last season. It’s easy to complement him while he’s having an MVP-caliber season. He carried us a lot of the way when I was injured or hurt. He carried the brunt of the responsibility. For me, there was respect there before we played together.”
Kyrie Irving comments on his relationship with Luka Doncic: “(Doncic) is an innocent kid, same time, just ultra-talented. Whole word is in front of him. You want to protect people like that, too, because I feel like sometimes people come at him crazy, which is unnecessary… So my… pic.twitter.com/MJppG85dqS
— Joey Mistretta (@JoeyMistretta_) February 26, 2025
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Why Irving Felt He Needed to Look Out For Dončić
It’s no secret that several European players have taken over the league, and Luka is obviously one of them. However, making the trek across the ocean to play and live in a country and culture you’re not used to has to be a challenge all by itself. Kyrie alluded to this when he spoke about protecting Luka and the narratives that follow every NBA superstar from season to season.
“He is an innocent kid who, same time, is just ultra-talented. The whole world is in front of him. You want to protect people like that, too, because I feel like sometimes people come at him crazy, which is unnecessary. He responds in his own way, but he’s not from America. He’s not used to the culture here. At times, especially when the narratives start spinning. So my goal was just to protect him, man. That’s why it goes deeper than basketball. This is one of those lifetime things for me and I think he feels the same way.”
You have to admire Kyrie in this moment. The veteran champion has gone through his own ups and downs in his career, some pertaining to controversial off-court issues. However, Kyrie changed when he arrived in Dallas. Seeing and hearing him regard Luka in such a way only speaks to Kyrie’s character, growth, and humility. Unfortunately, Luka will have to brave it with someone new now that he’s a Laker. However, I’d bet he’ll do just fine.
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