Before Luka Doncic came to the Los Angeles Lakers, he built up quite the bond with veteran teammate Kyrie Irving. The two became inseparable as their chemistry both on and off the court became endearing to not just Dallas Mavericks fans, but also to the rest of the NBA.
After the trade, the NBA champion guard was hurt. His words did not completely convey what he was feeling inside, as he had to put up a brave face to pacify angry fans after both GM Nico Harrison and his head coach Jason Kidd ducked press conferences.
The Slovenian also remarked on how he missed his ‘Hermano’ after moving to the West Coast. Their relationship was made more evident when Doncic emotionally reacted to the news of Irving’s devastating ACL tear.
Now, as both are in their respective off seasons, the two are enjoying it in their own way. Where the Lakers’ superstar has focused on his conditioning on his return to Europe, Irving has spent time welcoming Cooper Flagg and watching Paige Bueckers play for the Dallas Wings.
Irving posted pictures on his Instagram showing him working on his recovery, spending time with his friends and family, and also enjoying some luxury aboard a yacht. Seeing this, his former teammate was the first to comment.
Thanks for the invite on the yacht.
Luka Doncic commented
The 26-year-old was trolling his ‘Hermano’ as he would have loved to spend time with him in the offseason. As teammates, they did that during last offseason, which led to their relationship growing to become close friends. Maybe they will sometime down the line.
After failing at the final hurdle in the 2024 NBA Finals, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were determined to get it right the next time. They wanted to win a championship together and believed their chemistry was going to help them reach that goal.
The 2024-25 season did not start the way they wanted after the Slovenian struggled with injuries. That posed major questions on the squad’s ability to recover and make a run for the title. Even if they could not do it last season, they would have liked to complete the job sometime down the line.
They were sure of getting at least a couple of more chances before the team needed major retooling. However, they did not envision those changes to come this early and in this manner after the Dallas Mavericks traded Doncic away.
That ended their hopes of ever using their power of friendship and camaraderie to win the championship together. Now, both are focused on getting back healthy for their respective teams. If the Lakers manage to push deep into the playoffs, who knows the two will meet again, not as friends, but as competitors.
If the Los Angeles Lakers are to battle the Dallas Mavericks or other top West teams in the upcoming season, they need to maximize the roster they have at their disposal. They do need reinforcements, and GM Rob Pelinka has done that by bringing in Deandre Ayton, Jake Laravia and Adou Thiero.
The latter two will be working with the Lakers’ development coaches to help maximize their talents. In the case of Ayton, it will be up to head coach JJ Redick, Luka Doncic, and LeBron James. The trio will be tasked to push the center to reach his potential.
The basketball world knows how the soon-to-be 27-year-old struggles with motivation and effort. It would be up to the trio to push him to return to his 2021 form that had some believing he was one of the best centers in the league. Only then can they hope to catch the best in the West.
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