As friends and partners in so many battles with the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic revealed the message he sent to Jalen Brunson after the NBA Finals.
Doncic and Brunson were drafted together by the Mavericks and likely would have remained teammates if the franchise hadn’t chosen to go in a different direction in 2022. At one point, many believed the duo would lead Dallas for the next decade, but they ultimately ended up on different teams. Even so, they developed a strong friendship that has remained intact over the years.
After Brunson led the Knicks to their first NBA championship in 53 years on Saturday, Doncic talked about his former teammate in an interview with Drafteados. He also described the encouraging conversations the two have had recently.
“First of all, he’s a great guy,” Doncic said in Spanish. “He has a winner’s mentality that makes him different from other players… We talk all the time. We talked before the last game, and I told him, ‘You’ve got one more.’ Of course, after he won, I congratulated him on the title.”
It’s the kind of answer that reflects the mutual respect and friendship the two have built over the years.
Jalen Brunson Wins First NBA Title Before Luka Doncic
While many expected Luka Doncic to win an NBA championship first, it was Jalen Brunson who ultimately got there before him, leading the New York Knicks to their first title in 53 years by defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games.
Brunson was spectacular throughout the playoff run, playing a key role in helping the Knicks get the job done. The competitor that Doncic described is the same player Knicks fans have come to admire and someone Doncic knows as well as anyone after their years together in Dallas.
Brunson has experienced plenty of ups and downs throughout his career. There has been constant noise surrounding his size and playoff shortcomings, but he has now silenced many of those doubts and will forever have his name engraved in NBA history as a champion.
As for Doncic, he put together another spectacular season, although it ended just before the playoffs when he suffered a hamstring injury. Without him, the Lakers still managed to reach the Western Conference semifinals but were unable to overcome the defending champion OKC Thunder, who swept them in four games.
Despite the injury setback, Doncic was dominant throughout the regular season, averaging 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists in 64 games.
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Jalen Brunson’s Dad Rick Brunson Makes Huge Patrick Ewing Claim After Knicks Win Title
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