Luka Doncic decided to skip the polite pregame interview routine on Friday night. Instead, the Lakers star aimed a playful but stinging jab right at his former mentor, Dirk Nowitzki. The 27-year-old guard made it clear that he expects a phone call soon, even though the Hall of Famer lives nearby.
Doncic was asked about Nowitzki ahead of the matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. The former NBA champion has been praising the superstar on the Amazon Prime broadcast crew. When the question came up, Doncic did not hold back his feelings about the lack of contact. “He don’t even call. He’s in LA and he don’t even call no more, so I expect that dinner soon,” Doncic said. “I expect that call.”
The Trade That Changed Everything
In February 2025, the Lakers acquired Doncic from the Mavericks, a move that stunned the entire league. That blockbuster deal ended a long chapter in Dallas and started a fresh one in Los Angeles. Nowitzki was a huge supporter of Doncic back when they were both stars in the same city. Now, the roles are reversed, and the mentor is watching from the broadcast booth while the student leads the team. Per the New York Post, the two franchise icons have a long history, but the trade has created a new dynamic between them.
Doncic is no longer the young guard looking for a mentor figure. He is the clear leader of a team that looks like a top contender in the West. The 2026-27 season has started strong for Los Angeles, and Doncic is driving that success. His relationship with Nowitzki remains friendly, but the guard is not afraid to poke fun at the situation.
Shooting Lights Out on the Court
While the pregame chat made headlines, Doncic’s performance on the floor was just as wild. The Lakers missed their first 15 three-point attempts in Friday’s home game against the Trail Blazers. The shooting was rough until the final seconds of the first half. Then Doncic stepped up and made a shot that looked impossible for anyone else. He banked in a buzzer-beating heave from just inside the three-point arc on the opposite side of the court. The distance was exactly 61 feet, according to the New York Post.
The crowd at Crypto.com Arena went wild when the ball dropped through the net. Leading into halftime, the Lakers’ deficit was reduced to 60-53 thanks to this shot. This also concluded a terrible shooting half in which the team connected on just 4 of 23 attempts from beyond the arc. Doncic has a history of these miraculous moments, having made a buzzer-beater from beyond half court in the season opener against the Warriors on Oct. 21. His early stats back up the hype, as he averaged 38.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, eight assists and 1.8 steals entering Friday’s game. According to the New York Post, his pre-game stats showed 49.5% shooting from the field and 43.1% from deep.
Nowitzki laughed at the comment during the Amazon Prime NBA halftime show, calling himself “big time now.” The mentor clearly took the joke in good spirit. While the Lakers still face issues to resolve, their robust season beginning has become linked with Doncic’s incredible performance so far.
