Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic says he stayed in close contact with former Dallas Mavericks teammate Jalen Brunson while the New York Knicks chased — and captured — their first NBA championship in 53 years.
Brunson guided New York past the San Antonio Spurs in five games to secure the 2026 NBA Finals on June 16. Doncic, sidelined by a late-season hamstring injury that kept him out of the playoffs, told the Spanish outlet Drafteados that he texted Brunson before and after the clinching Game 5.
“Before the last game I told him, ‘One more,’” Doncic said, according to a translation posted by the account Luka Updates. “When he won I congratulated him, and he texted me back. I thought he would have a lot of messages.”
The pair forged a strong bond in Dallas before departing in separate off-seasons — Brunson for New York in 2024, Doncic for Los Angeles in 2025. With their former backcourt partner now a champion, the Lakers aim to remodel their roster around Doncic this summer in search of similar success.
Brunson on Kobe Bryant’s Influence
During the Finals, Brunson credited the late Kobe Bryant and the “Mamba Mentality” for shaping his preparation.
“I think the way I carry myself and the way I do things is a credit to how I was raised by my parents,” Brunson said before Game 3. “But part of the philosophy seeps into the Mamba Mentality as well, so there’s a connectivity there. I just do my best to stay present in the moment, trust my work and be mentally and physically ready every day.”
Doncic, still rehabbing his hamstring, remains focused on earning his own championship in Los Angeles — and, as his postseason texts show, continues to cheer on a close friend who has already reached the top.
Source: LakersNation.com
