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Dallas Mavericks rookie sensation Luka Doncic had a closed-door workout with Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry ahead of his rookie season. The two met at the Hub 925 gym, 20 miles east of Oracle Arena, drawing the curtains to ensure no one would peek while the two held this secret workout in late August.
“For me, I just wanted him to be exposed to the excellence of Steph,” Doncic's agent, Bill Duffy told Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports. “Not just Steph’s skill, but appreciating the work that goes into it.”
Before Luka Doncic became a national sensation, the 19-year-old visited Stephen Curry for a long workout back in August. Exclusive video (Part 2) @NBCSports: pic.twitter.com/WwtCUr7Tuq
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) January 24, 2019
The workout, distinct from the recent viral craze, was not posted on Instagram or shared in House of Highlights, Overtime, or any other outlets flooded with NBA stars getting some hoop run in the summer. This workout was not about the hype, but a concerted effort to prepare Doncic for what awaited him in the NBA — a league he had watched from afar but never really experienced in full.
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Having missed the entire Summer League due to contractual issues with his former club Real Madrid, Doncic got a first view at what it takes to be part of the elite, watching the two-time MVP light it up during his offseason routine, one he called the best offseason of his life, despite welcoming his third child, Canon Curry.
“Hey, you know, he’s never really worked out like this before,” Duffy told Curry's trainer Brandon Payne over the phone. “All of this is going to be new to him. Be patient with him.”
While Curry is often seen lighting up highlight reels and getting arenas into a frenzy, the workout was a way to show the humanity behind the legend.
“I wanted to show him that someone at that level can take instruction too, be corrected,” Duffy said of Luka Doncic. “Brandon is up here telling Steph, do this, don’t do that, correcting him. I think someone like Luka, was like, ‘Woah — Steph is top 2-3 players in basketball and he has someone pushing him to be the best he can be?’ To be exposed to that, was special.”
If Doncic reflects any of the Curry magic during this rookie season, it is because he's been exposed to it, giving him a very special insight to bundle with his three years of experience playing professionally in Spain — a fortune many rookies of this class could only dream about having.
