Lakers superstar Luka Doncic humorously remarked that his mentor and friend Dirk Nowitzki no longer calls him, ahead of an NBA broadcast where Nowitzki was part of the studio crew.
During an interview before the Lakers' game against the Trail Blazers, which was streamed on Amazon Prime, Doncic was asked if he had a message for Nowitzki, who was part of the broadcast team. "He don’t even call. He’s in LA and he don’t even call no more, so I expect that dinner soon," Doncic said. "I expect that call."
Nowitzki, a longtime supporter of Doncic since his days with the Mavericks, was a franchise star in Dallas alongside Doncic. However, Doncic was traded to the Lakers in February 2025 in a move that surprised many.
Nowitzki, responding to Doncic's comments during the halftime show, joked, "I’m big time now."
Doncic is currently leading the Lakers in the 2026-27 season, with the team positioned as one of the top contenders in the Western Conference.