Luka Doncic‘s time with the Dallas Mavericks is nothing short of historic. Many saw him as the natural heir to Dirk Nowitzki’s legacy and the next face of the NBA franchise. While his eventual trade to the Los Angeles Lakers came as a shock, Doncic left behind a treasure trove of memorable moments—and one, in particular, continues to make headlines thanks to a revealing story from within the Mavericks’ front office.
On a recent podcast, Dallas guard Kyrie Irving shared his perspective on Doncic’s dominance in practice sessions. The veteran guard recalled one instance on a livestream: “He’s giving you probably like 60, 18, and 18. I witnessed him give somebody 24 points in three minutes.”
As jaw-dropping as that sounds, Irving didn’t name the defender. But Mavericks assistant general manager Michael Finley later offered more context during a media appearance. “So one day in practice,” Finley said, “a player on our team—I’m not gonna name names, but it was Grant Williams—thought Luka wasn’t locked in that day. He tried to get under Luka’s skin.”
“To make a long story short, we had a scrimmage going, and he’s talking trash to Luka up and down the court,” Finley continued. “Eventually Luka just says, ‘Okay.’ And I’m telling you, Luka went on a 26-6 run—by himself. Ask anybody. I’m not exaggerating.”
Doncic has long been known for his offensive arsenal, but stories like these show just how otherworldly his skill set can be. Few players in the league can flip a switch and dominate on command. He’s more than just a great scorer—he’s a generational talent with the ability to reshape the game.
Now with half a season in the rearview, both Doncic and the Mavericks have moved forward. While the 26-year-old superstar focuses on preseason conditioning in Los Angeles, Dallas turns its attention to a new era.
After selecting gifted forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft, the Mavericks are planning to mold the young star into the franchise centerpiece. While Doncic’s departure was significant, Dallas hopes its next cornerstone is already in the building.