Ahead of the Lakers' Friday game against the Trail Blazers, Doncic called out Dirk Nowitzki for not calling him anymore.
Luka Doncic used his pregame media time before the Lakers hosted the Trail Blazers on Friday to needle Dirk Nowitzki, his longtime mentor and friend. The game streamed on Amazon Prime, where Nowitzki now works as part of the NBA studio crew, and the former champion had just finished praising Doncic on air ahead of the matchup.
Asked about it, Doncic did not return the sentiment so much as point out that Nowitzki has gone quiet off camera. "He don't even call," Doncic said, making clear that whatever bond the two built during Doncic's rise in Dallas has not translated into much communication lately.
It is a small moment, but it fits a larger story about Doncic settling into his new life with the Lakers. According to a separate report from The Athletic, part of that adjustment has come through blunt, trash-talking banter with a Lakers assistant coach, the kind of relationship where trust gets built through ribbing rather than compliments. Doncic calling out his old mentor for silence reads less like a complaint and more like him testing out that same dynamic with a new team around him.