Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic was taken aback when Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant began speaking to him in Slovenian during the Mavs' 108-95 loss to the Lakers on Dec. 29.
However, Luka Doncic was not willing to relay Bryant's message during an interview with ESPN's Rachel Nichols:
Surprised Luka Doncic has been able to leap from Rookie of the Year to MVP contender in just half a season? So is he. I sat down with the NBA's rising superstar to talk title aspirations, trash talking with Kobe and why he still feels pressure playing against LeBron. pic.twitter.com/UGkxXqMlLW
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) January 8, 2020
Although Luka Doncic would not elaborate on Kobe's words, there is a good chance “The Black Mamba” found a way to include some profanity in his trash-talking antics. After all, he is one of the most ruthless competitors and blunt personalities in the history of the game.
While he would not transcribe what Kobe said, Luka Doncic did give Nichols an indication of how it feels to play against LeBron James, his boyhood idol (via Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports):
“I remember [the first time I faced James], I was nervous,” Doncic said. “Playing against your idol, I was nervous. It was something different than what I had experienced. As we go along to today, it’s different than the first game, for sure, playing against him, but it’s always pressure.
“For me, everything happens so fast. Two years ago, I was playing in Real Madrid. I was 18 years old. Things happen quick.”
The 20-year-old Luka Doncic has inserted himself into the MVP conversation, averaging 29.6 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game while guiding the Mavs to a 23-14 record thus far.
Luka Doncic also leads the league in box plus-minus, and he ranks in the top three in terms of player efficiency rating (31.2) and value over replacement player (4.2), according to Basketball Reference.
Luka Doncic is earning the respect of all his peers, including Laker legends past and present.
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