Luka Doncic (proper) with former participant Dirk Nowitzki.
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Photos
As heartbreaking because the gorgeous Luka Doncic commerce has been for Mavericks followers, it one way or the other grew much more painful on Monday.
Naismith Memorial Basketball Corridor of Famer and Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki poured salt on the wound when he revealed plans to attend Doncic’s Lakers debut to help his former teammate.
“I’ll all the time be a Mav for all times, however needed to come help my man … within the first recreation of his new chapter!” Nowitzki wrote on social media.
I’ll all the time be a Mav for all times, however needed to come help my man 77 @luka7doncic within the first recreation of his new chapter!
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) February 11, 2025
Nowitzki and Doncic performed for one season collectively, in 2018-19, when Doncic was a rookie, and Nowitzki was in his remaining season.
Nowitzki is currently a Mavericks special advisor. It is unprecedented for a corporation member to exit of their technique to help a not too long ago traded participant. Then once more, we have additionally arguably by no means seen an NBA commerce as surprising because the one which despatched Doncic to Los Angeles.
Nowitki’s determination to attend a Western Convention rival’s recreation speaks to how unpopular the Doncic commerce was and continues to be.
The five-time All-NBA choice led Dallas to the NBA Finals for the primary time since 2010-11 final season and was the 2023-24 scoring champ after averaging 33.9 factors per recreation.
Earlier than struggling a calf pressure earlier this season, Doncic averaged 28.1 factors, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and a career-high two steals per recreation.
As a part of the commerce, the Mavs acquired ahead Anthony Davis, who’s out indefinitely (quad).
Nowitzki, who performed all 21 of his NBA seasons with the Mavericks, is the franchise’s biggest participant and was inducted into the Corridor of Fame in 2023.
However even he’s having issue transferring previous the Doncic commerce.
For Mavs common supervisor Nico Harrison, parting with a generational expertise like Doncic was horrible sufficient. Forcing Nowitzki to help the Lakers for an evening due to his fondness for Doncic is likely to be worse.
Eric Smithling is a author based mostly in New Orleans, LA, whose byline additionally seems on Athlon Sports activities. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily protecting the NFL and faculty soccer, but in addition the NBA, WNBA, males’s and girls’s faculty basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a movie research diploma from the College of New Orleans
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