Dirk Nowitzki revealed just how “down and disappointed” Luka Doncic initially felt at being traded by the Dallas Mavericks in the most shocking deal in NBA history. Nowitzki felt so bad for his friend he traveled to Los Angeles to “be there” for Doncic when he made his Lakers debut.
JJ Redick, who played his final season for Dallas in 2020-21, wanted to see Doncic, his former teammate, play with the old joy he displayed with the Mavericks. He made his request before Saturday’s road game against the Denver Nuggets.
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The Lakers head coach said he told Doncic to have “at least one blackout episode where he’s screaming indiscriminately at no one in particular.”
“That’s the Luka I know,” Redick added.
Doncic appeared to play and feel like his old self against the Nuggets. He scored a game-high 32 points and amassed 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals to lead L.A. to a 123-100 blowout victory over Denver.
Doncic matched his previous highest scoring performance as a Laker in the first quarter with 16 points. After L.A. ended its eight-game losing streat at Ball Arena, he admitted to “having fun” and experiencing the type of moment his coach thought he needed.