Dirk Nowitzki was on a tropical vacation with his family when he got word of the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
The Mavericks legend spoke publicly Friday for the first time since the Feb. 2 move that teamed Doncic in Los Angeles with LeBron James.
“When I saw the news I was actually all across on the other side of the world. I was on vacation with the family in the Maldives,” Nowitzki told 96.7 The Ticket at an appearance in Plano, Texas.
“My phone just starts blowing up left and right and then I kind of looked on social media and I think I was as shocked and surprised as everyone was.”
Dirk on his text exchange with Luka Doncic following the trade:
— Michelle Montaine (@michmontaine) February 22, 2025
"He invited me to come out to his first game in LA… He was pretty down & disappointed on how it went down, so I wanted to be there for him."
"But you guys saw my face…it was weird." pic.twitter.com/MGEUkI9fXH
Nowitzki, the sixth all-time leading scorer in NBA history, played all 21 seasons of his NBA career with the Mavs, including winning the league title in 2011.
Nowitzki said he exchanged text messages with the 25-year-old Doncic, a teammate during his final NBA season in 2018-19.
The Hall of Famer also explained why he felt compelled to attend Doncic’s home debut with the Lakers on Feb. 10 against the Jazz.
“He invited me to come out to his first game in LA and I felt like I had to support him,” Nowitzki said. “I felt like — you know, I played with him my last season, we’ve gotten close.
I’ve tried to mentor him, I’ve tried to help him as much as I can the last few years and he’s a good kid. So I felt like I had to go out there and support him in this new chapter.”
The 14-time All-Star admitted that it was “weird” and “surreal” to see Doncic in a Lakers uniform, adding, “at the end of the day, you know I’ll never be a Lakers fan, but I’ll always be a Luka fan.”
Anthony Davis, who headlined the return package from the Lakers, appeared in one game for the Mavericks before suffering a left adductor strain that is expected to sideline him for at least two more weeks.