LOS ANGELES — Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle offered high praise for Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić before Friday night’s matchup at Crypto.com Arena, predicting the Slovenian star will win a Most Valuable Player award and calling him the greatest player he has coached.
“He’s a fiery competitor,” Carlisle said during his pre-game media availability on March 6, 2026. “Look, he’s great. He’s the greatest player I’ve ever coached, just in terms of his sheer ability. He’ll be an MVP.”
Carlisle guided Dončić for three seasons with the Dallas Mavericks and previously coached Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki to the 2011 NBA championship. “I’ve got to be careful,” Carlisle added. “I coached Dirk Nowitzki, who’s in the Hall of Fame and seventh on the all-time scoring list, and we won a championship together. But Luka is just the extra special of the most extra special, in terms of everything he can do on a basketball floor. And he has amazing charisma too.”
The veteran coach also addressed Dončić’s frequent disputes with officials. “You show me a great player who isn’t stubborn and doesn’t get pissed off at things, I’ll show you a guy that’s not a great player,” Carlisle said.
Dončić, who entered Friday’s game with 15 technical fouls this season, has drawn criticism for his on-court reactions. Current Lakers head coach JJ Redick recently echoed Carlisle’s defense, stating he prefers a player with Dončić’s competitive edge to one who needs external motivation.
Tip-off between the Pacers and Lakers was scheduled for Friday night in Los Angeles.
Source: Lakers Nation
