Not everyone in the Dallas Mavericks landed in Luka Doncic’s hypothetical black book.
After the Los Angeles Lakers clinched a dramatic 113-109 overtime victory over the New York Knicks, Doncic was seen looking for an old friend on the court.
Doncic finished the game with 32 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds to help lift the Lakers to their eighth straight win. But his mind appeared to be elsewhere following the final whistle as he was heard asking for Casey Smith while dapping up Knicks players.
Correction: Luka said "Where's Casey?"
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) March 7, 2025
Referring to former Mavs trainer Casey Smith
Now with Knicks
One of several people close to Luka that Mavs got rid of
Before they got rid of Luka pic.twitter.com/8hP5Z4rrjL
Here’s clearer audio of the moment:
Luka asking “where’s Casey” 🥺 pic.twitter.com/UCf1trqzKJ
— sarah (@slothanova) March 7, 2025
Smith, who currently serves as the Knicks’ vice president of sports medicine, was Doncic’s longtime athletic trainer on the Dallas Mavericks. Smith along with a few other Mavs staffers close to Doncic were reportedly fired by the organization in hopes to “prod” Doncic to change his conditioning habits.
"They get rid of everybody I like," Doncic told ESPN.
The Knicks hired Smith last June, but it would seem like he and Doncic are still fairly close. A month after his blockbuster trade, Doncic’s breakup with the Mavs feels messy as ever with endless stories continuing to come out of the woodwork. The All-Star guard’s friendship with Smith, at least, serves as an emotional footnote from his time in Dallas and a sad reminder of Doncic playing with a franchise he once called home.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Doncic Looking for His Ex-Trainer After Lakers' Win Said It All About Mavs Breakup.
