When Luka Doncic made a candid admission about Kobe Bryant's mentorship to Lakers owner after blockbuster trade

Luka Doncic was the centerpiece of one of the most shocking trades in NBA history when the Dallas Mavericks dealt him to the LA Lakers on Feb. 2. It brought Doncic to the storied Lakers franchise, which was once the home of his idol and discreet mentor, Kobe Bryant.

Talking on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Tuesday, Lakers owner Jeanie Buss described her first conversation with Doncic following the trade, affirming his distinction as the next face of the franchise before the former Mavericks star mentioned his close ties with Bryant.

“When I met him, the first thing I said to him," Buss said, "because I think a lot of times when players come to the Lakers, there's such a history that it's kind of like, 'How am I ever gonna stand out with all of these great Lakers players? How am I gonna get my jersey up there?'

"And the first thing I said to him was, 'You're gonna write your own chapter in the Lakers history book. We're excited to have you.' And he said he really wished that Kobe was there."

Weeks before Kobe’s untimely death, he brought his late daughter Gigi Bryant to a 2019 game between the Lakers and the Mavericks, where Kobe linked up with Luka Doncic on the court.

Gigi was reportedly a fan of Doncic's game, prompting Kobe to bring her to the sidelines of the Dec. 29 game. Kobe was even famously trash-talking Doncic in Slovenian during the contest, before dapping up following its conclusion.

Now that he is a Laker, Doncic is poised to be the next face of the franchise as he is paired up with the 40-year-old LeBron James, the longest active player in the league right now.

Luka Doncic has played five games this season with the Lakers. In his last two outings, Doncic scored 32 points against the Denver Nuggets before putting up a triple-double of 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists against his former team, Dallas, both of which resulted in a win.

Kobe Bryant warned Luka Doncic about being European in the NBA

Luka Doncic looked back on his first meeting with Kobe Bryant during his appearance on "The Old Man and The Three" podcast hosted by Lakers coach JJ Redick in 2022.

Doncic said Bryant warned him about players coming for him because he is European during an event in Portland after being drafted by the Mavericks in 2018.

"It was in Portland just after I was drafted," Doncic said. "We were at the Nike campus, he was there and the one advice he gave me was: Watch out, they're going to go after you because you're from Europe. They're going to try to go after you. And it was true."

Luka Doncic has since grown into a star, being selected to five All-NBA first-team nods and a trip to the NBA Finals last year with the Mavericks.