Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić playfully mocked teammate Jarred Vanderbilt’s dislocated pinky finger during a recent practice session. The interaction provided a lighthearted moment as the team navigates the Western Conference Semifinals.
Vanderbilt suffered a full dislocation of his right pinky finger during the Lakers' 108-90 Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The forward attempted to block a dunk by Thunder centre Chet Holmgren. His hand struck the backboard with enough force to break the skin. Medical staff reset and splinted the bone immediately after the game.
According to footage shared on social media, Dončić pointed at Vanderbilt’s splinted hand and teased, “You can’t do that.”
“You can’t do that” - Luka points to Vando knowing he can’t use his pinky 😭😭😂
Tiktok/ colbydaniels.sports pic.twitter.com/vRsImZN4fa
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) May 9, 2026
Both players are currently sidelined. Vanderbilt is managing his injury on a day-to-day basis. Meanwhile, Dončić continues to recover from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain.
Lakers veteran LeBron James praised Vanderbilt’s resilience following the incident.
"He is tough as nails," James said (h/t ESPN). "If Vando was in pain, then something actually really happened."
Head coach JJ Redick described the event as a freak injury but expressed optimism about Vanderbilt's swift return.
"I had to go check on him because it just looked bad," Redick said after the game. "I mean, he was audibly screaming, and you knew he had done something. So, we're obviously disappointed that happened. It's just a freak injury."
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Jarred Vanderbilt teased Dončić
Last season, Vanderbilt teased Dončić on Instagram regarding a photograph of a dunk, suggesting the image was computer-generated, “2nd pic AI.” Dončić jokingly dismissed Vanderbilt and other teammates as critics in response, “@jvando_ hater,” he replied.
The Lakers officially listed Vanderbilt as questionable for Game 3 against the Thunder. Trailing 2-0 in the best-of-seven series, Los Angeles will eventually need Vanderbilt’s perimeter defence to combat Oklahoma City's deep rotation. For now, the team relies on camaraderie as their injured players work towards full health.
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