It has been a wild few months for Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić.
After leading the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, Dončić looked poised to keep the Mavs near the top of the league for years to come. With the addition of former Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, Dallas appeared to be a legitimate title contender.
But things didn’t go as planned. The Mavericks struggled through the season and, in February, pulled off one of the most shocking trades in NBA history, sending Dončić to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.
Dallas went on to lose in the second play-in game to the Memphis Grizzlies and missed the playoffs. However, their luck turned when they won the NBA Draft Lottery, securing the right to select Duke’s Cooper Flagg, the consensus No. 1 overall pick.
Meanwhile, things around Dončić have been relatively quiet since the Lakers were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. But he made headlines again after sitting down with two-time MVP Steve Nash on “Mind the Game”, the podcast hosted by Nash and Dončić’s current Lakers teammate, LeBron James.
Luka Dončić Brutally Roasts His Father Saša
Nash asked Dončić about how his love for basketball began.
“For me, I wasn’t good at any other sports, well, except for soccer,” Dončić said.
“Because your dad Saša was EuroLeague — he played in the EuroLeague, he was a great player,” Nash said.
“He was okay,” Dončić laughed.
After a laugh, Nash circled back to ask if Dončić’s father had a big influence on his love of basketball. Dončić admitted that he did.
“Yeah, for sure,” Dončić said. “Like, I went to his games. When I started, I was ball boy… that’s how I used my time to just get on basketball.”
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Oftentimes, being able to joke around with your dad like that is a sign of a strong relationship. It shows comfort, trust, and a bond that goes beyond the game.
Of course, it won’t be all fun and games for Dončić — many are already calling next season his “revenge tour” after the Mavericks questioned his weight, conditioning, and overall work ethic in the media. The pressure will be on to silence critics and prove he belongs among the league’s elite, especially in a high-profile market like Los Angeles.
Dončić, a five-time All-Star, averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game last season.
