Luka Doncic is the latest in a long line of Los Angeles Lakers superstars, but on Tuesday, he lamented the absence of one of his predecessors.
During Doncic's introductory press conference, a reporter reminded him of the time in 2019 when Kobe Bryant was heckling him from the crowd during a Lakers-Dallas Mavericks game. The notable part was that Bryant was speaking in Slovenian while doing it. The 25-year-old remembered the moment and wished the former Lakers great, and his daughter Gigi, had been in attendance today.
"Well, first of all, I remember that that happened, it will always stay in my mind," Doncic said. "It was an amazing moment, just for Kobe to know my name was amazing for me. I just wish Kobe and Gigi were here to see this moment."
Luka speaks about his Kobe moment. pic.twitter.com/XdRUzxJiIj
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 4, 2025
LeBron James took the torch of the Lakers franchise from Bryant, and now Doncic is next in line. His connection to the late, great Lakers superstar shows the impact Bryant had on so many NBA players.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Doncic Laments Absence of Kobe Bryant as He Joins Lakers.
