At a recent press event, Kyrie Irving let slip a now-legendary story from a Dallas Mavericks practice that perfectly encapsulated Luka Dončić’s competitive fire—and his merciless trash talk. It was a vivid, borderline savage moment that not only left teammates stunned but also reminded everyone why Dončić is one of the fiercest competitors in the league.
The story begins on a muggy Wednesday morning at the Mavericks’ practice facility. Head Coach Jason Kidd had organized a scrimmage to inject some intensity into the preseason routine. Veterans were paired off against younger players, and naturally, Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving ended up on opposing sides—purely for competitive spirit. The gym buzzed with anticipation.
According to Kyrie, things started light. Luka was cracking jokes, laughing, and throwing behind-the-back passes. But everything changed the moment a rookie guard, brimming with confidence, clapped his hands at Luka and shouted, “You’re too slow to guard me!” That rookie, now unnamed for dignity’s sake, had no idea what he’d just triggered.
Luka didn’t respond verbally. Not immediately. Instead, he gave the rookie a long, unimpressed stare, wiped the sweat off his brow, and simply said, “Watch this.”
The very next possession, Luka demanded the ball. Isolation. Top of the key. The rookie locked in. But Luka’s footwork was surgical. Step-back fake, crossover, hesitation—then a one-legged fadeaway three that swished through the net as clean as a laser beam. Dead silence followed.
Then Luka turned to the rookie and, in his thick Slovenian accent, said, “You’re going to remember that for the rest of your career.”
Kyrie, now grinning as he retold the moment, said the entire gym stopped. Nobody spoke. Nobody moved. Luka then went on a personal 11-0 run in the scrimmage—scoring on the rookie three times, dishing two assists, and stealing the ball right out of his hands with a smirk. At one point, Kyrie recalled, Luka shouted to the bench, “Put someone else on me. This one’s done.”
“It wasn’t just savage,” Kyrie said, shaking his head. “It was like watching a lion toying with a deer. I’ve seen legends go off in practice—LeBron, KD, Kobe—but that… that was next level. Luka’s got this quiet killer in him people don’t see.”
After practice, the rookie reportedly approached Luka and asked for tips. Luka smiled, patted him on the back, and said, “Next time, don’t poke the bear.”
The story has since become folklore among Mavs staff and players. More than just a tale of domination, it was a snapshot of Luka Dončić in his rawest form—fiery, brilliant, and unapologetically ruthless.
