Dirk Nowitzki was compelled to 'support' Luka Doncic after trade

Dirk Nowitzki will forever be a Dallas Maverick, but his loyalty was tested when the franchise traded Luka Doncic earlier this month. 

The Hall of Famer went out of his way to attend a Lakers home game to support Doncic, whom he mentored for years in Dallas. The optics of Nowitzki attending a Lakers game was interpreted as him sending a message to the Mavs, expressing unhappiness over the trade.

In a recent interview, Nowitzki explained why he felt compelled to "support" Doncic during a turbulent time. He revealed that he was vacationing with his family in the Maldives when he heard the news, which caused him to reach out to Doncic. 

"I felt a little disappointed and sad for him," Nowitzki told 96.7 The Ticket. "...He's a good kid, so I felt like I had to go out there and support him in this new chapter. It was reported that he was pretty down and disappointed how it went down, so I wanted to be there for him. I wanted to be there for his family and show support. You guys saw my face, it was weird. It was surreal to see him play for the Lakers."

The 2007 NBA MVP said he'll "never be a Lakers fan" but will "always be a Luka fan" regardless of where the Slovenian plays. 

Doncic had thanked Nowitzki for his kind gesture of flying to Los Angeles to watch his debut against the Jazz.