Mavs' Doncic, Irving Speak On 2023 NBA All-Star Bonding: 'Lots of Laughs'
SALT LAKE CITY — Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving represented the Dallas Mavericks in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game, both playing for Team LeBron after being selected by captain LeBron James on the court before tipoff.
Participating in the All-Star Game was another opportunity for Doncic and Irving to further the connection they share as co-stars.
“It was great, man. We had a lot of laughs. He’s a great guy," Doncic said of Irving. "We talk a lot, so it was great to have him here.”
Doncic was the focus of the broadcast's on-court mic'd up content. He even participated in an interview live during the flow of the game. Among his highlights was reacting to a dunk he threw down by saying, "that never happens." He finished with only four points, two rebounds, and five assists.
“Just being mic'd up and talking to the guy is something new, but it was fun, It’s always a pleasure to be an All-Star,” Doncic said.
Irving's primary goal was to avoid injury, but he had a more lively performance than Doncic in the game. He finished with 32 points, seven rebounds, and 15 assists, while shooting 14-21 from the floor and 4-8 from 3-point range.
“Me personally, I was just trying to go have fun, get up and down (the floor) a little bit and get ready for what’s coming in the second half of the season and just leave out of here with the primary goal,” Irving said. “And that’s to be healthy, so I accomplished both.”
Irving's scoring total set a new Mavs record for scoring in an NBA All-Star Game. The previous mark was set by Rolando Blackman in 1987. He attributed his record-setting performance to Dirk Nowitzki not getting enough shots in the past.
“I think it was just a low total, and Dirk (Nowitzki) wasn’t getting enough shots (during his team-record 14 All-Star appearances). We can call it any way you want.
“But I’m happy I can set that franchise record. Again, I was just trying to come out here and have fun.”
The running punchline from the game was Doncic's apparent disinterest in applying himself too much in the flow of the game. Irving asked if Doncic already had made it to Cabo during his press availability that immediately followed Doncic.
“Is Luka in Cabo right now? I think he was doing his best to get his energy up for the game. You can’t blame him," Irving said.
Irving explained: “He’s played a lot of minutes and he rightfully deserves a vacation. Hopefully, he’s on a plane already. I don’t know if he’s doing media right now. ... Get a nice beer for him on the plane in Cabo and we’ll see him on Wednesday.”
During the NBA All-Star Media Day on Saturday, Irving expressed a desire for the game to be a more competitive one than it has been as of late. Clearly, that didn't transpire with many comparing it to a layup line.
“I thought we were going to play a little bit more defense in the fourth quarter, but clearly that was non-existent,” Irving said. “I don’t think they heard anything I said in the media yesterday about us playing hard, but it doesn’t necessarily matter.
“As long as we got out of here healthy. Again, I would love to have more of a competitive environment where we don’t score 170. But hey, we’re all All-Stars, and guys just want to be healthy.”
The Mavs return to game action on Wednesday when they take on the San Antonio Spurs at the American Airlines, beginning a six-game homestand.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Mavericks? Click Here.
Follow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter and Facebook.
Follow Grant Afseth on Twitter.
