Villalobos: “If Doncic was a star, now he will be the entire galaxy”

Quique Villalobos (Madrid, 1965) has been Luka Doncic’s agent since the Slovenian’s early days at Real Madrid. “At home, they say he’s my fourth son,” he says. As a player, he was an international for Spain and shared the locker room at the white club with Drazen Petrovic and Fernando Martín. The former Madrid forward has been a very important person in Doncic’s career. As soon as the trade from the Mavericks to the Lakers was announced, he flew to the United States.

- How have the first few days in Los Angeles been? How is everything going?

- Everything’s been great, the Lakers have treated us really well. Luka, his father, his girlfriend with their daughter, and myself, we’re all here. Lara, the person who takes care of Luka’s non-basketball matters, is also with us. We’ve been to the practices; they’ve put us in a room with refreshments where we can watch the court at El Segundo, at a spectacular facility. The attention from the organization has been amazing.

- Up to the level you would expect from such a team.

- Yes, it feels like arriving at a historic franchise, where there are many expectations, but at the same time, they take care of you at the highest level.

- How did you feel about the trade, the shock of these days?

- Well, as Luka has said publicly, it was a huge shock. He felt very sad when he found out because he didn’t expect it, and neither did we. But once he got to Los Angeles… the glamour of the Lakers is real. They’ve treated him wonderfully, and each day he’s feeling better, understanding where he is. He compares it to Madrid. This is the Real Madrid of the United States. A very special place.

- How was the presentation experience?

- I think Rob Pelinka made a perfect introduction to the situation. I also felt that the journalists who were there were good. There was kindness in the questions, no attempts to stir the pot. They showed respect and elegance. Luka felt good, very comfortable during the presentation. Luka is a sincere person, he always says what he thinks, even if it’s with few words. Everything was very well prepared.

- These days, you’ve come as a friend, agent, and a bit of everything to accompany him in such an important change.

- Yes, Luka was very affected when he found out about the trade. And, well, it’s one of those moments where you need to be with the person. Luka is much more than a client for me. At home, they say he’s my fourth son. I had to come as soon as possible to be with him, and that’s exactly what I did. The day the news broke, the very next day, I caught a flight, which wasn’t easy to find. And here I am to support him. Then, we’ve had our conversations with the Lakers about the future, the present, and the adaptation.

- These days, he’s reunited with two former teammates, like J.J. Redick, who is now his coach, and Dorian Finney-Smith.

- Yes, he says it’s nice to see familiar faces when you arrive in a new place. He’s reconnecting with J.J. Redick and Doe-Doe, as he calls Dorian Finney-Smith, a player with whom he had a special connection when he was at Dallas. Also, Christian Wood, who played with Luka, although he’s currently injured and not participating in practices. Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris have come along with him. He’s well surrounded and very comfortable. I see the spark in his eyes of a fresh start. Starting from scratch, new, proving himself all over again.

- And the change with Redick, from teammate to coach, I imagine he’s eager to experience it.

- I suppose so. What he tells me is that there’s one thing about J.J. that he likes: he’s one of those who gets angry. The general trend with NBA coaches is to show the utmost respect for the star player and never say anything to them. They never yell at them. What’s normal in Europe isn’t the same here. J.J. Redick is a bit more expressive than the norm here, and Luka likes that.

- And he must be excited to play with LeBron James, right?

- Playing with LeBron is a dream for him. He’s always said it, LeBron has always been his favorite player. And now being on the same team with him has him very motivated and eager to see how it will work with him, trying to respect LeBron’s space, of course. Right now, Luka’s focus is on making everything work, not just with LeBron, but with everyone. That he can catalyze everyone’s talent and involve everyone.

- There have been images of him as a child during a visit to Staples. I understand that playing for the Lakers was almost unimaginable for him.

- Yes, it’s one of those iconic franchises. Just like when he played for Real Madrid, which is also an iconic team. Well, this is the same. For him, in his own words, it’s the Real Madrid of the NBA.

- Will he make his debut on Monday?

- Right now, he’s training, things are going well, but I’m not 100% sure he’ll play on Monday. It looks like it’s the day, but if, for any reason, he’s not at the level he needs to be at to play, they might postpone it to the next game, which would be in Utah. Everything is planned for him to play on Monday, but I wouldn’t say it’s 100% confirmed. He had an important soleus muscle injury. It’s been six weeks of downtime, which was initially planned. The injury is healed, but he needs to feel good. After a month and a half without doing much, he needs a mini preseason.

- What can the Lakers become with Doncic’s signing?

- I’m not sure if the team is ready to win right now. But what I am sure of, because the Lakers have told us, is that they’re going to do everything possible to win in the short term. They’re going to build and add whatever pieces are needed to the roster to try to win a championship, which is what Luka wants. I don’t think it will happen this year, I see it as difficult, but the goal is to attack the championship as soon as possible.

- And what can Doncic become on the Lakers?

- If he was already considered a star, now he will be the entire galaxy. Honestly, I think this is the place that fits Luka, it’s like a perfect match. And Luka is starting to feel the same way. He’s genuinely excited and motivated.

- It’s hard to believe that, with everything Doncic has already proven, there are still some doubts about him.

- In the world, it’s impossible for everyone to agree on something. With Luka, it’s the same: not everyone agrees that he’s the best. What he has is the motivation to prove to everyone that he is the best. He definitely has that hunger and fire.

- Does he have a desire to prove himself?

- He’s always had that because it’s his character. It works for us to have haters because Luka likes to show that he’s the one in charge.

- What he won’t be able to do is sign the supermax contract he would’ve had in Dallas.

- Yes, but he’ll sign a different type of contract. We already have a strategy in place for him to recover that money over time. He won’t lose it, it will just be postponed. Additionally, around Luka, there are many other options, many other types of marketing and commercial income that will obviously be enhanced. It’s not the same number of sneakers you sell in China when you’re in Dallas as it is when you’re with the Lakers. And already, there are three or four brands…

- New ones? After the trade?

- Yes, from well-known food brands and other sectors, they’re all eager to make a deal.

- And this all happened within a week.

- That was the very next day, within 24 hours. Maximizing the financial benefits of this move won’t be difficult.

- Have you received many messages from Real Madrid with congratulations and affection?

- Yes, many. He told me Florentino Pérez sent him a message. His ex-teammates too, Juan Carlos Sánchez... Everyone. He’s received a ton. He had like 547 unread WhatsApp messages.

- Has there been any talk about bringing the Lakers and Madrid together at the Bernabéu or something similar?

- Well, that hasn’t been discussed. We’re not at the stage to talk about those things. I don’t know if it’ll come up in the future. I imagine that… Luka would obviously be thrilled to play against Madrid with the Lakers. If that were possible, I’m sure they’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen. But right now, there’s no conversation about that.

- Is there a better mentor for Doncic than LeBron?

- If he’s not the best, he’s definitely one of the best. LeBron is an example. Luka understands that. In everything. LeBron’s career speaks for itself. It’s incredible the physical level he’s at at 40 years old and how he always meets the expectations placed on him, which is not always easy to deal with. Luka believes he can learn a lot from LeBron, and I do too. He should get as close to him as possible and learn as much as he can.

Luka is going to become, if he isn’t already, the first European franchise player the Lakers have ever had. There were Magic, Kareem, Shaq, Kobe, LeBron, but there’s never been that European leader. Obviously, Pau was great, but as the main star, Luka will be the first European.

- That shows the level, the respect the Lakers have for Luka. That’s why they brought him in. And because they want to build a championship team around him. So I think it’s the combination of Luka’s desire to win an NBA title and the Lakers’ will to build around him. Let’s see if we can make it happen.

- And that would make him the best European player in history. Winning championships with the Lakers, as a guy from Slovenia raised in Madrid, would take him to the highest level.

- I don’t want to sound pretentious, but I believe Luka has already been showing for several years that he might be the best European player in history right now. He just needs that—winning a championship—to be above the Gasols, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, and all the others who have won championships as Europeans.

- Antetokounmpo has one, Jokic has one...

I think he’s very close to achieving it.

- Has Pau Gasol congratulated Luka as an ambassador for the Lakers?

- I think so, he wrote to Luka. But I haven’t seen Pau around here. Luka is still new, and there will be time for him to come over and say hi and those things.

- What do you expect from his first game?

- I’m not sure what to expect. Luka is unpredictable, but it won’t be easy for him to have a standout debut because he’s been out for a month and a half and doesn’t know his teammates yet. I don’t think it’s easy for him to have a great game, especially knowing Luka, who is the type of person that, when he arrives in a new place, wants to integrate. So I think he’ll focus more on passing than shooting and on making everyone happy. The most likely scenario is that he’ll have some transition games. But like I said, Luka always surprises.

- Now with the All-Star break coming, it will give him a bit more time for adaptation.

- That’s right.

- And finally, how far do you think this connection between Doncic and the Lakers will go?

- As of today, I can’t say for sure. What I can tell you is that Luka is a loyal person. Just like he thought he’d be with the Dallas Mavericks for his entire life, it’s very likely he now thinks he can be here for the rest of his career too. His personality has that loyalty trait. But you never know. It also depends on the other side. It depends on whether they’re, which I believe they will be, up to expectations. But still, Luka’s loyalty trait makes me think that, if everything goes well, he could be here for a long time.