Dirk Nowitzki Will Reportedly Be in Attendance For Luka Doncic Lakers Debut

Ricardo Sandoval | Feb 10, 2025

May 15, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Dallas Mavericks oguard Luka Doncic (right) with former player Dirk Nowitzki against the Phoenix Suns in game seven of the second round for the 2022 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

NBA Hall of Famer and Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki is expected to attend tonight's Lakers vs. Utah Jazz game for the Lakers debut of his former teammate Luka Dončić.

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NBA insider Marc Stein shared via X. 

Dončić is expected to make his Lakers debut tonight. He missed the first three games after officially becoming a Laker on Feb. 2. 

The 25-year-old superstar was initially ruled as questionable for tonight's game, but hours before tip-off, he was upgraded to probable. Although it hasn't been officially announced that he will take the floor, that is the expectation. 

Dončić was traded to the Lakers from the Mavericks on Feb. 1 for former Lakers superstar Anthony Davis. Many people have yet to get over the move, which remains at the forefront of the NBA world. 

Dončić and Nowitzki were teammates for only one season in Dallas, but the two remain close friends. Nowitzki's last season in the NBA was Dončić's first in the 2018-19 season. 

Dončić had an incredible rookie season that saw him win the Rookie of the Year. 

The Lakers played the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, and former coach of Dončić and Nowitzki, Rick Carlisle, now coach of the Pacers, touched on how Nowitzki must've felt to hear the news of Dallas trading Dončić.

I know it really touched Dirk,” then-Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said after the game. “It’s great for our young guys to see a moment like that, because it’s just another nod of how special Dirk is to not only our franchise but toeverybody that follows our game.”

Nowitzki played 21 years, all with the Mavericks, and the expectation was the same thing was going to happen with Dončić.

Instead, the Mavericks felt that he couldn't be the player they needed and wanted him to be even after he led them to the NBA Finals last season and to the conference finals twice. 

Here we are, and now Dončić is a Laker, and it is expected that he will remain in L.A. for the rest of his career.

The expectation for his debut is at an all-time high. 

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