In Monday's matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Doncic will be honoring Kobe Bryant and the eight victims of the helicopter crash in Calabasas. Doncic has written all of the nine victims names' on his Nike “Kobe V Protro” Shoes.

 

Doncic shared a special relationship with NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant. On December 29th, Bryant and Gianna were sitting courtside in the matchup between the Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers.

During the third quarter, Bryant was seen heckling at Doncic prior to an inbounds play. Doncic proceeded to turn around and shake hands with the NBA legend. In the postgame interview, Doncic expressed that Bryant was talking trash to him in Slovenian.

Per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post:

 “He was talking Slovenian. He was talking my language. I was really surprised.”

Nonetheless, it's great to see Doncic honoring all of the victims of the devastating helicopter crash. The 20-year-old is having a phenomenal season as he's nearly averaging a triple-double. Doncic is averaging an astonishing 29.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.9 assists in 33.0 minutes.

This past week, Doncic was selected as a starter in the NBA All-Star Game. Moreover, he'll become the sixth-youngest starter in NBA history and the youngest starter since 2005.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has also announced that No. 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick.

“Kobe’s legacy transcends basketball, and our organization has decided that the number 24 will never again be worn by a Dallas Maverick.”

The Mavericks are currently the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a record of 28-17.