Kristaps Porzingis said he has a normal relationship with Luka Doncic, calling their time in Dallas "a past stage" and noting that their duo did not work out.
Kristaps Porzingis and Luka Doncic played together on the Dallas Mavericks from 2019 to 2022, but their partnership never fully clicked, and Porzingis was eventually traded.
Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis
Position: PF
Age: 30
Height: 221 cm
Weight: 109 kg
Birth place: Liepaja, Latvia
In an interview with Sportacentrs, the Latvian big man reflected on their relationship since those Dallas days.
"I have a normal relationship with Luka Doncic. Of course, our time in Dallas didn't work out — that's in the past," Porzingis said. "Since then, we've met often — the Celtics and Mavericks faced each other in the Finals last year. In the European context, it feels like we haven't played since 2017."
The two clashed in the 2024 NBA Finals, when Porzingis, playing for the Boston Celtics, defeated Doncic's Mavs in five games to win the championship.
Credit USA TODAY Sports-Scanpix
But their most memorable battle came much earlier — in the 2017 FIBA EuroBasket quarterfinals. Slovenia edged Latvia 103–97 in an all-time classic, with Porzingis scoring 34 points and a young Doncic dropping 27.
Now, they're set to meet again on August 16 in Riga, when Latvia hosts Slovenia in a friendly match.
"It's a friendly game. If we meet in the quarterfinals or semifinals, then… why not take it as extra motivation? In a home-friendly, we'll give our all anyway," Porzingis said.
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