When you hear, “sports in Europe are a whole different universe,” learn to believe it. Because whoever observed and said this wasn’t bluffing. It’s not just the fans carrying musical instruments, banners, and bully banners to support their teams. But the discipline that the coaches bring to a team and its players is worth learning from. Coming from Europe, stars like Nikola Jokic, who doesn’t respond to fans’ trash talk because “I played in Serbia”, and Luka Doncic are a different breed altogether.

However, for Doncic, his beginner’s level back at home and in Spain wasn’t easy. Now, look, he was a teen back then, and fooling around seemed natural. But during a game? Bad choice! So, speaking about the impact his coaches in Europe have had on his career, the Slovenian superstar shared a rare story on Mind The Game.

“I think one example was we were up, it was quarterfinals or round 16. We were up at like 30 at halftime, but I was bull——– a little bit. He yelled at me. He made me cry,” the 26-year-old shared a halftime story with LeBron James and Steve Nash. “But I said like, this coach like changed a little bit of how I view basketball and like during the time. Like that year, I think we didn’t lose the game, and we won the finals by 30 points. I think everybody needs it. To be a really good player, you need that guy who’ll tell everything. Especially the coach. I love him for that, that he did that for me.”

It’s hard to guess which phase of his career this story belongs to. Most likely, it could be from his Real Madrid days, but it could also be from the time he was under the icon Igor Kokoskov for Slovenia. However, Luka’s emotional story could be a message for JJ Redick‘s next campaign with the Lakers in the 2025-26 season.

The most interesting thing about the relationship between Luka Doncic and Redick is that they’re former teammates. JJ retired from the NBA after his short stint with the Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, Luka… well, you know that story. And therefore, the 40-year-old Lakers head coach wants to bring out the best in Doncic in LA.

JJ Redick’s primary wish is to nurture Luka Doncic’s best for the Los Angeles Lakers

Undoubtedly, the Los Angeles Lakers struck gold by trading for Luka Doncic in February. A seismic deal that shook the NBA’s ground. And in the process, JJ Redick had the major task of incorporating his former teammate into the roster under his control.

JJ Redick stepped into his rookie coaching season with the Lakers and made quite the impression. Despite a midseason shakeup that brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, Redick held the team together and finished strong. Now, with a full offseason ahead, he is focused on building chemistry with Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. Redick believes consistency and repetition will unlock their full potential next season.

“I think our first conversation when flew into LA that night, he wants to be coached, he wants to be held accountable. He’s expressed to me and what I’ve expressed to him is very similar, I want to bring out the best version of Luka and that’s what he wants from me. And so that’s the partnership going forward, that’s the expectation and that’s sort of the baseline of what we’re trying to do. Lets try to bring out the best version of Luka, and hopefully win a championship doing that,” Redick shared.

Great players are built on great stories, and Luka Doncic’s journey is one for the ages. From tears in Europe to trust in Los Angeles, his growth now lies in JJ Redick’s hands. The bond they share is more than nostalgic—it is the Lakers’ foundation for the future. And if all goes well, this duo might just script the next championship chapter in purple and gold.