“I know it hurt my heart as a Mavs fan.” That was NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes, reacting to the blockbuster trade that sent Luka Dončić from Dallas to Los Angeles. But Mahomes wasn’t just mourning the loss of a basketball icon. He was talking about a friend. “It definitely hurts more than anything knowing Luka and the work that he put in… how he’s done so much for [Dallas],” Mahomes added. The move stunned fans across the league. For a Texas native and lifelong Mavs supporter like Mahomes, it hit especially hard. And now, months later, we know the feeling is mutual.

During a recent visit to Yankee Stadium, Doncic sat down for an interview with commentator Michael Kay. Kay asked him about the one celebrity who left him genuinely star-struck at a game. Who did Luka name? Yep, you guessed it: it was Mahomes. “I mean, there was so many, but I think for the first time I would say like in Dallas when Pat Mahomes came, for me that was very special,” Doncic said. “So, that’s the first one.”

It’s a powerful statement that speaks to the deep, personal connection between two of the biggest stars in sports. Mahomes, being a die-hard fan of the Mavs, was genuinely heartbroken by the trade. When the news first broke, his reaction on X (formerly Twitter) was raw and immediate—“Wait what?” followed by, “I’m sick rn….” He later admitted that the news “kept me up for a couple hours,” a clear sign of how much he valued what Luka brought to the city of Dallas.

Their bond was forged in Dallas, where the two young superstars “came up together,” each becoming the face of their respective leagues. But loyalty, it turns out, doesn’t just disappear with a jersey swap. When Luka made his emotional return to Dallas, now in purple and gold, Mahomes was right there, sitting courtside with his wife, Brittany. After the final buzzer, the two even shared a long embrace.

And it seems that this new chapter in Los Angeles, along with the criticism that came with it, has pushed the Lakers’ superstar to a new level of focus.

Inside Luka Dončić’s grueling offseason transformation

The internet has been buzzing all summer about “Skinny Luka.” After a disappointing first-round exit with the Lakers and whispers about his conditioning, Luka Dončić has responded by completely transforming his body. But as he revealed in his interview at the Yankees game, the journey wasn’t easy. The biggest challenge? Not playing basketball for a month.

“Yeah, I was basically in the gym, you know, lifting and then playing other sports. At first, it was very tough to leave basketball behind,” he admitted. For a player who has dedicated his life to the game, stepping away was a true test. “After one week, I was okay. So, I was mostly playing padel or tennis.”

This new routine, combined with a strict gluten-free, low-sugar diet, has him looking leaner and more explosive than he has in years. But this transformation is about more than just looking good—it’s about reclaiming his spot at the top of the league.

After the trade and the Lakers’ playoff loss, Luka’s once-secure position as a top-two player in the world is now being seriously challenged by rising stars like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the consistently dominant Nikola Jokic. As one insider, Jovan Buha, bluntly put it, “Luka’s probably going to drop to five, six, seven for some people” on those best-player lists.

That’s the harsh reality check that seems to be truly fueling this offseason of change. As Lakers HC JJ Redick put it, the team has to get in “championship shape,” and Luka is clearly taking that message to heart. “This summer was just a little bit different, you know. It kind of motivated me to be even better,” he remarked. Clearly, for Luka Dončić, this isn’t just another offseason. He’s heard the criticism, he’s seen the MVP odds, and he’s absolutely ready to prove every single doubter wrong.