Tuesday was a historic day for the Los Angeles Lakers franchise, as they officially introduced 25-year-old Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic to the franchise. Doncic joins a long list of legendary players to don the Lakers jersey, including — most recently — LeBron James and late legend Kobe Bryant.
Luka has cited both LeBron and Kobe as two of his favorite players of all time. And it was less than six years ago that Bryant and Doncic shared a famous moment on the sidelines of — at the time — Staples Center when Luka’s Dallas Mavericks were visiting L.A.
Bryant got Doncic’s attention by speaking Slovenian, causing the former Mavericks star to turn around quickly, only to see the Lakers legend sitting with his daughter Gianna. The two shared a heartfelt moment, and it became a moment that Doncic remembered fondly given the tragedy that occurred shortly after.
“First of all, I remember that exact moment that happened,” Doncic said at his introductory press conference. “It always stayed in my mind. It was an amazing moment, just for Kobe to know my name was amazing for me. I just wish Kobe and Gigi were here to see this moment, and I’m excited about this new journey and happy to be here.”
The moment between Luka and Kobe was incredible that night and only grew in importance in the weeks after. It showed the true impact that Bryant had on the game of basketball and the generation of stars that came after him.
And now, Doncic gets to don the same jersey that Bryant wore for 20 years and hangs in the rafters in downtown Los Angeles. And as Luka says, it’s sad that Kobe and Gigi aren’t here to see him join the Lakers. This certainly feels like the type of addition that Bryant would be ecstatic about for L.A.
Luka Doncic surprised by trade but excited to join Lakers
Luka Doncic did acknowledge being traded stunned him, as it did everyone else, but that he is looking forward to starting his Lakers career.
“I mean, everybody was surprised. So you can imagine how surprised I was. I was almost asleep when I got the call, so I had to check if it was April 1st,” Doncic said.
“I didn’t really believe it at first. It was a big shock and a hard moment for me. It was home, so it was really a hard moment for me. With that said, I get to play for the greatest club in the world, and I’m excited for this journey.”
“First of all, I remember that exact moment that happened. It always stayed in my mind. It was an amazing moment, just for Kobe to know my name was amazing for me. I just wish Kobe and Gigi were here to see this moment, and I’m excited about this new journey and happy to be here.”
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