When Luka Doncic met Kobe Bryant

Just days after one of the most stunning trades in NBA history sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks, the two teams face off at Crypto Arena.

However, the Slovenian point guard has already been immortalized alongside one of the Lakers' greatest legends, Kobe Bryant, thanks to a mural in West Hollywood.

Armenian artist Arutyun Gozukuchikyan took just a few days to complete the mural, which depicts Dončić greeting Bryant. The European star is wearing a Lakers jersey, while Bryant is clad in a purple jacket.

The artist drew inspiration from a moment the two shared in 2019 when the Mavericks played the Lakers at what was then Staples Center. Bryant had already retired but shared a special moment with Doncic that night.

Mavericks still have an open wound

Gozukuchikyan recalled that as he worked on the piece, a Mavericks fan passing by in his team’s jersey stopped to admire it – and couldn’t hold back tears. “His eyes were watery,” the artist said. The pain is still fresh for Dallas fans.

“I hope he plays his best game,” said Mavericks forward P.J. Washington. “Knowing the player he is, the mentality he brings to the game, I know he’ll be ready as soon as we step out there. But obviously, we’re excited to compete against him. We miss him. At the end of the day, he’s our brother."

“I just wish Kobe and Gigi were here to see this moment,” Dončić said on February 4, during his Lakers introduction—a phrase that has already become one of the most memorable from his unveiling.

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