Dallas Mavericks legend and Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki admitted that he was as shocked as everyone else when he heard the news that Dallas sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade earlier this month.
Dirk Nowitzki Was Vacationing With His Family In The Maldives When The Mavericks Traded Luka Doncic To The Lakers
“When I saw the news, I was actually all across on the other side of the world,” Nowitzki told 96.7 The Ticket in Dallas on Friday when asked about his first reaction to the trade. “I was on vacation with the family in the Maldives.”
Nowitzki said he and his family were about to go to lunch when his phone started “blowing up left and right,” at which point he looked at social media. It was 11:01 a.m. in the Maldives when he posted his reaction: a flushed face emoji.
“I think I was as shocked and surprised as anyone was. … I really couldn’t believe it,” Nowitzki added.
When Doncic made his Lakers debut at Crypto.com Arena, Nowitzki was in attendance to support the Slovenian superstar. In fact, Nowitzki shared that Doncic had asked him to be there.
Dirk Nowitzki Believes Luka Doncic Wanted To Finish His Career With The Mavericks, Will Never Be A Lakers Fan
Nowitzki also shared his thoughts while texting with Doncic shortly after the deal.
“I felt a little disappointed and sad for him,” Nowitzki said. “I think he obviously didn’t see this coming. So he invited me to come out to his first game in L.A. and I felt like I had to support him. I felt like, you know, I played with him my last season, we’ve gotten close, I’ve tried to mentor him, I’ve tried to help him as much as I can these last few years and he’s just, he’s a good kid.
“So I felt like I had to go out there and support him in this new chapter ’cause, you know, I think — I mean it was reported that — he was pretty obviously down and disappointed at how it went down, and so I wanted to be there for him, I wanted to be there for his family and show support.
“I’m sure he wanted to finish his career [with the Mavericks] like I did. … But, I mean, you guys saw my face. It was weird. It was surreal to see him play for the Lakers. So at the end of the day, I’ll never be a Lakers fan, but I’ll always be a Luka fan.”
Nowitzki Expresses Empathy For Anthony Davis, Max Christie
As weird as it was to see Doncic “in the purple and gold,” Nowitzki said it was great to be there for him. “I was happy I did it,” he said. “I’m happy I went to support him, and I think, now, after a few weeks, I think he’s looking forward to the opportunity there.
“He’s playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world, so I think he’s seeing the opportunity now. And obviously he needs to wrap his head around that, that he’s with the Lakers now and he needs to obviously move forward and do his thing out there. We all, of course, wish him well.”
In Dallas, there has been backlash to both the trade itself and the way the organization has handled the fallout. Nowitzki expressed empathy for Anthony Davis and Max Christie, the players Los Angeles dealt to the Mavericks.
“I kind of feel bad about AD and Christie here in this deal,” Nowitzki said. “They’re both great players, fun to watch, and of course they get it all, they get the news and they see it. And I just hope they feel welcome still and still be able to obviously contribute here to a good team.”
Doncic Began His NBA Career In Nowitzki’s Final Season
Luka Doncic, 25, began his NBA career in the 2018-19 season, which was Nowitzki’s final season of his 21-year career with the Mavericks. The seven-year veteran guard is a five-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA member.
He won Rookie of the Year in 2019 after averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 6.0 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Dirk Nowitzki, 46, won MVP in 2006-07 and led the Mavs to their lone championship in 2011 against LeBron James and the Miami Heat. The 7-footer retired as a 14-time All-Star in 2019.
As mostly a power forward, Nowitzki averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists across 1,522 regular-season games (1,460 starts) with Dallas.
