Dirk Nowitzki had remained quiet following the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis. However, the NBA world quickly noticed the Mavericks icon seated courtside at Crypto.com Arena, watching Doncic’s highly anticipated debut.
Nowitzki, who led the Mavericks to their first NBA championship in 2011, later explained his presence, revealing that Doncic personally invited him to the game. Dirk felt it was important to support the Slovenian star during what had been an emotionally turbulent period after the surprising trade.
“He invited me to come out to his first game in L.A., and I felt like I had to support him,” Dirk told 96.7 The Ticket, via Michelle Montaine. “I felt like I played with him my last season. We’ve gotten close. I tried to mentor him. I tried to help him as much as I can in the last few years”.
“And he’s just a good kid, so I felt that I had to go out there and support him in this new chapter because I think it was reported that he was pretty obviously down and disappointed about how it went down,” he continued. “So I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to be there for his family and show support”.
Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates with Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks after scoring a basket against the New Orleans Pelicans. (Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
The reason behind Doncic’s trade
According to The Athletic, Mavs’ GM Nico Harrison addressed the team the morning after the trade, just hours before a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. “Harrison told the bleary-eyed group that the team’s goal remained the same: Win a championship,” the report noted.
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Harrison firmly believed that acquiring Anthony Davis gave the Mavericks the best shot at a title. “Privately and publicly, Harrison has said he moved Doncic for (Anthony) Davis because he felt it gave Dallas the best chance at raising the Larry O’Brien trophy,” the report added. “Harrison’s belief is that Davis is a better cultural fit for what the Mavericks want to build”.
Doncic’s performance with the Lakers so far
The transition to Los Angeles has been challenging for Luka Doncic, who is still adapting to the Lakers’ system while recovering from a lingering injury that sidelined him during his final weeks with the Mavericks.
Through his first three games in purple and gold, the Lakers have gone 1-2. Doncic is averaging 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game, shooting 35.6% from the field and a disappointing 20.8% from beyond the arc. It’s evident that both Doncic and the Lakers need more time to develop chemistry and unlock the full potential of their new star.
