The NBA world will never forget the day in February 2025 when it was announced that Luka Doncic had been traded by the Mavericks to the Lakers. Doncic was reportedly devastated after finding out and reportedly smashed his phone upon hearing the news.
Subsequently, in a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Doncic revealed that he still made a phone call after the trade despite his phone being in shambles. He did that just so he could speak to his father, Sasa Doncic.
“I called my father,” said Doncic. “He was still in shock, but he said, ‘Embrace the moment.'”
Doncic shares a close relationship with his father, starkly different from the bumpy roads he has faced in his relationship with his mother, Mirjam Poterbin. Doncic has previously also admitted that his father plays a major role in his basketball career, and he was inspired to play basketball due to his father.
“My father played, so after him, I figured out basketball was my way. I tried a lot of different sports, but I wasn’t very good at any of them. So I was good at basketball, and I was a ball boy too. So that’s how I fell in love with basketball,” said Doncic during the Wall Street Journal interview.
Even during the EuroBasket this season, his father was always present during Doncic’s training and games. A video of Doncic dunking on his father also went viral during EuroBasket. Therefore, it shows that Doncic clearly considers his father to be one of the closest people to him in the world.
How Luka Doncic’s Business Manager Reacted To The Trade
When Doncic got the call about the trade, he was at home near midnight, as per the Sports Business Journal. His business manager, Lara Beth Seagar, spoke to him upon getting the news of his trade and gave him reassurances that the Lakers are the better choice for him.
“We’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves,” she said to him. “You always dreamed of playing basketball at the highest level, and now you’re under the brightest lights with the Lakers.”
“You will be the first European player to be the face of a franchise in a No. 1 large market.”
And Doncic did just that as he hit the ground running for the Lakers. He averaged 28.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.5 assists while shooting 37.9% on high volume from three-point range in 28 games during the regular season.
Doncic is now set to lead the most storied franchise in NBA history, the Lakers. The lights could never be brighter for him. Having successfully led the Mavericks to the Finals in 2024, can Doncic win it all in LA? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
