Luka Dončić Wanted to Do Postgame Jersey Swap in Locker Room for Hilarious Reason

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Luka Dončić and the Lakers played his former team at American Airlines Center in Dallas Saturday. Even a year after the shocking trade that sent the superstar guard from the Mavericks to the Lakers, some old habits die hard.
He seemed to have a great time returning to Dallas, especially as he dropped 33 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in a 116-110 Lakers win. Dončić surprised over 20 Mavs fans with a suite for the game, plus he gifted them jerseys and shoes. He accidentally started to head toward the Mavs locker room at halftime. He prepared a postgame jersey swap with former teammate and Mavs forward Naji Marshall, but Dončić made sure not to get the usual photo op on the floor for a hilarious reason.
“Hey Naj, let’s sit in the back, I don’t want to show my body,” Dončić said through a smile postgame.
Luka Doncic did a jersey swap with Naji Marshall in the locker room because he didn’t want to show his body
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) January 25, 2026
(h/t @LukaUpdates)pic.twitter.com/M0tmBXo6L3
The relatable moment may have been a subtle jab at the Mavs’ brass and specifically former general manager Nico Harrison, who shared his concerns about Dončić’s weight and conditioning following the controversial trade, although Dončić dragged Dallas to the NBA Finals a season earlier.
In his first full season as a Laker, Dončić is leading the NBA in scoring with 33.4 points per game while also averaging the third most assists across the league with 8.7 dimes a night. The Lakers are 27-17 and fifth place in the loaded Western Conference, while Dallas sits at 19-27 as the franchise builds around last year’s top pick Cooper Flagg.
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Blake Silverman is a writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.