The bond between Luka Dončić and his “Hermano” Kyrie Irving remains unbreakable—even after the stunning trade that sent Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Despite now playing for different teams, Dončić continues to keep a close eye on Irving. He was among the first to show concern when the Mavericks star suffered a potentially serious knee injury during Dallas’ 122-98 loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 3.
Dončić reposted a video from House of Highlights capturing Irving’s emotional moment—shooting free throws through tears after the injury—along with a face holding back tears and praying emojis.
The Mavericks have officially labeled Irving’s injury as a left knee sprain, pending further evaluation via MRI.
Irving sustained the injury late in the first quarter while driving to the basket. As he attempted to maneuver past Kings forward DeMar DeRozan, he lost his balance and landed awkwardly, causing his knee to appear hyperextended upon impact.
His decision to stay in the game and make his free throws drew comparisons to Kobe Bryant, who famously did the same after tearing his Achilles in 2013—a moment that ultimately marked the beginning of Bryant’s decline.
“That’s just who, I mean, Kai’s a tough guy,” Kidd told reporters after the loss. “I asked him as they were taking him off the court, ‘Are you good if you leave without shooting? You’re ruled out.’ So they took him to the free-throw line, and he shot the free throws and then we got him out.”
Irving’s injury adds to the Mavericks’ woes, as they were already without their top three big men, including Anthony Davis—the key piece in the Dončić trade.
“Just unlucky,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd told reporters. “I hope that he’s healthy, that it’s not serious.”
The Mavericks suffered their second consecutive loss and fourth in their last five games. Since trading Dončić for Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick, they have posted a 6-7 record.
Luka: ‘Kyrie Is My Hermano’
Irving shared that his strong bond with Dončić was built during the Mavericks’ overseas trips, including their 2023 matchup against Real Madrid in Spain and their games against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi.
“For me, I think there was respect there before playing together,” Irving told reporters after their first meeting as former teammates in Los Angeles on Feb. 25. “But playing with him, he’s just an innocent kid. Ultra talented. Whole world is in front of him. You want to protect people like that too. Because I feel like sometimes people come at him crazy. And he responds in his own way. He’s not from America. He’s not used to the culture here. My goal is to just protect him. That’s why it goes deeper than basketball.”
A stunned Dončić recorded his first triple-double as a Laker (19 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks) to lead his team past Irving and the Mavericks. However, after the game, he expressed admiration and appreciation for his former teammate.
“Kyrie is my hermano,” Dončić told reporters. “We go way beyond basketball. It was good to see those guys. We went to wars together, and it was really fun to see them all.”
