By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Luka Doncic remembered interactions with Kobe Bryant, including the first meeting and significant advice from the late NBA superstar.
“He was trash-talking me in my language. So, I was kind of surprised. I just looked over and it was Kobe. It was kind of a surreal moment that I will never forget,” he revisited a memorable moment during a game, early in his NBA career, during an interview with The Wall Street Journal published on Tuesday.
“I remember meeting him for the first time, before I started my NBA season. There was one thing he’d say, ‘Watch out, you’re European. They’re going to be after you’,” Doncic went on to share predictive counsel from Kobe during preparations for his rookie campaign in the league, “He was right.”
Beyond his teenage years and getting ready to introduce himself to the NBA, following a brilliant start to his career with Real Madrid and the Slovenian national team, Doncic also recalled reactions to his trade from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in February with WSJ.
“I didn’t know how to react, how to act, what to say,” he said, “It was a lot of shock. I felt Dallas was my home. I had many friends there. The fans always supported me. I didn’t want to upset Dallas fans. And I didn’t want to upset Laker fans.”
“I think it will always be strange,” he added on dealing with the unexpected move, “I don’t know if someday I will have closure or not. For sure, it will always be weird.”
Following EuroBasket 2025 and leading Slovenia to seventh place in the final standings, the Ljubljana native switched to the process of preparing for the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, his eighth campaign in the league and first full season with the Lakers.