Mavericks star Luka Doncic's 10 funniest moments of his career so far

Luka Doncic has an uncanny way of leaving viewers in awe whenever he steps foot on the court. Still over a month before he turns 25, the Dallas Mavericks star has already proven he is one of the NBA's best players, even though he has been massively disrespected by the league recently.

An offensive wizard, he is currently the only player in the league who ranks in the top three in average points and assists. Luka's magic has also helped propel the Mavs to playoff contention this season after failing to reach the last postseason.

However, what makes Doncic a must-watch star is not just his hoops brilliance but also because of his hilarious personality that he brings to the floor.

Mavericks star Luka Doncic's 10 funniest moments of his career so far

The Slovenian has a vast collection of highlight reels through his first six seasons in the NBA. His shot-creating and playmaking abilities have put him on a lot of lists of top plays in the past years. 

On the other hand, he has also had some bloopers, even making a few appearances on Shaqtin' A Fool, like when he missed an easy dunk. Doncic was a good sport about it, acknowledging his gaffe and poking fun at himself with a handful of laughing emojis on X (formerly Twitter.)

Moreover, his cheeky attitude has sometimes resulted in his hilarious interactions with other players and personalities. It has been evident that the four-time All-Star is relishing the opportunity to take center stage every time he appears on the court.

So, let's take a look at some of Doncic's most comical moments on a basketball floor, starting from the oldest footage to the most recent ones.

10. Dreams don't come true (November 2019)

In his second year in the Association, Luka showed he was a force to be reckoned with after becoming just the second NBA player ever after LeBron James to record a 40-point triple-double before turning 21. The game in question featured a matchup between Dallas and the San Antonio Spurs.

From the get-go, it was clear that Doncic would have a night to remember. In the opening quarter, he scored 17 points and sank four 3-pointers.

After the contest, he said he dreamt about having an impressive first quarter, but Doncic put up one point too many than he had in his dream. Consequently, he blurted out a line that had folks splitting their sides.

The game was special for the organization, as it was the Mavs' first bout against their in-state rival following Dirk Nowitzki's retirement. Luka proved that the team would be in good hands, as he recorded his league-leading six triple-doubles at that point of the 2019-20 campaign.

Dallas punched in the wire-to-wire victory and withstood a furious rally from the Spurs in the fourth quarter. As for Doncic, the basketball genius would repeat the feat in less than a month. He also had a sophomore season that most other players can only dream of, earning an All-NBA First Team selection.

9. A cold-blooded shot against "Ice Trae" (February 2020)

The former EuroLeague MVP's career will always be intertwined with that of Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks. After all, they were dealt for each other during draft night in 2018. Seeing how their careers have fared so far, the Mavs indisputably won the trade. Some folks have tried to pit the point guards as rivals, but it doesn't seem like there is any bad blood there.

The stars had the opportunity to face off against one another in a low-stakes battle in the Rising Stars challenge during the 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend.

Some hilarity ensued when Doncic had the ball with time winding down in the first half. He launched a shot behind the midcourt line with Young loosely guarding him and banked the buzzer-beater. The two shared a lighthearted moment that attests to no form of animosity between them.

Luka's heave gave Team World an 81-71 lead entering halftime. However, Young and Team USA got the last laugh as they rallied in the second half to notch the 151-131 win. 

Doncic finished with 16 points and had to save some of his energy for the next day's All-Star Game, where he was voted as a starter and drafted into James' squad. He salvaged his weekend with a victory, with teammate Anthony Davis sinking the final two points for Team LeBron.

8. Bullying J.J. Barea (August 2020)

There was a time when Doncic shared the same uniform with his Balkan buddy, Boban Marjanovic. The two were almost inseparable until the Mavs traded the big man to the Houston Rockets in the 2022 offseason. They evidently had a lot of fun together, even playing a hilarious game of Name that Tune several months before the Serbian moved to Houston.

It also seemed that Luka and Bobi reveled in teasing a particular teammate - Mavs legend J.J. Barea. At one point during Dallas' stay in the NBA Bubble in 2020, the European duo decided to play the role of schoolyard bullies and cornered the 5-foot-10 veteran while mic'd up.

Apparently, making fun of Barea's height on social media wasn't enough; Doncic had to continue doing it in person and recruited Marjanovic to his cause.

The Mavs' camaraderie that season helped them reach the playoffs for the first time after a three-year absence. Entering the postseason as the West's seventh seed, the squad bowed out in the first round after losing to the LA Clippers in six games.

That turned out to be Barea's final stop in the NBA, although Doncic had nothing to do with it. The organization decided to go younger in the 2020-21 season, assigning backup duties to Jalen Brunson and Trey Burke and leaving the former Mavs 2011 Champion expendable.

7. Flirting with the referee (March 2021)

Perhaps the most famous evidence of Doncic's comedy chops was his supposed flirting with referee Ashley Moyer-Gleich during a regular season contest in the 2020-21 campaign.

While the conversation apparently had the Mavs cornerstone using a playful pick-up line on the official, nothing has been confirmed by any of the parties. Still, his words had Moyer-Gleich smirking and Los Angeles Clippers coach Tyronn Lue seemingly impressed.

Whatever the case may be, the move may have worked in Luka's favor because he led Dallas to a 105-89 triumph over the Clippers that evening. He put up 42 points on 16-for-28 shooting. 

The Mavs would also probably rather want their superstar to engage in friendly dialogues with referees instead of incessantly complaining to them. He even went a bit too far last season when he made a money gesture and directed it toward an official. Doncic was fined $35,000 for his actions.

Furthermore, Luka has regularly toed the line when it comes to technical fouls, ending each of the previous three campaigns with 15, one short of an automatic suspension. This season, he has already been whistled for six techs. So, it might be time for him to start toning down his complaints, especially since sitting out even just one contest could affect the Mavs' chances of reaching the playoffs in a tough Western Conference.

6. A ball to the face (October 2021)

In addition to his basketball prowess, Doncic has occasionally showcased his mad soccer skills. But during a preseason game against the Utah Jazz in the 2021-22 campaign, he attempted to knee-bounce the basketball off a miss after the end of the first half. 

Unfortunately, he may have miscalculated how the ball would ricochet, resulting in him getting hit right on the mouth. What was humorous, though, was that Luka tried to act like nothing happened when many spectators seemed to have watched it unfold. Even former teammate Kristaps Porzingis appeared to mock him for it.

Perhaps it just wasn't his day soccer-wise. At least Dallas managed to pull off the win, defeating Utah 111-101. Considering it was the preseason and the Mavs were playing for the first time that summer, Doncic didn't play much, logging in just 16 minutes and making up for the blunder by pouring in 19 points on an 8-for-10 shooting clip. 

It was possibly a sign of good things coming for the franchise that season, securing the No. 4 seed in the West at the end of the regular season and winning a playoff series for the first time since 2011.

Doncic also led the Mavs to the 2021 Western Conference Finals. Along the way, they beat the Jazz and Phoenix Suns (more on that later.) Sadly, their run ended at the hands of the Golden State Warriors, who eliminated them 4-1.

5. Joking around with Nikola Jokic (February 2022)

The 2022 NBA All-Star Game gave fans a glimpse of how a jokester Luka Doncic can be. He found himself on the same side as Nikola Jokic, allowing him to have some fun with him.

That's exactly what happened during one shootaround as the Denver Nuggets superstar was practicing his soccer with the basketball. Luka messed his rhythm up by throwing another ball in his direction, and the two-time MVP responded in the most Jokic way possible.

Throughout the weekend, the European pair displayed their entertaining chemistry even off the court. While Doncic was in the middle of a press conference, the Serbian center happened to pass by and tossed a ball at him. Fortunately, it wasn't a basketball. Still, it was enough to distract Luka from what he was doing.

The duo had plenty of reasons to be excited during the event, more so since their squad triumphed in the midseason exhibition match. They played for Team LeBron, although they took a backseat to their teammates' phenomenal performances. It was Stephen Curry who stole the show, putting up 50 points and sinking 16 3-pointers, an All-Star Game record.

Of course, such a weekend is the only time Doncic and Jokic can share the floor as teammates. They have faced off against one another a total of 15 times, and while Luka has had the better overall stats in those meetings, "Joker" has the edge in wins by a hair (8-7).

4. Meme-worthy smile against Devin Booker (May 2022)

As mentioned earlier, Luka Doncic and the Mavs had the privilege of going up against Phoenix in the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The Suns had gone to the Finals in the previous postseason, but Dallas spoiled their hopes of making a return trip.

Luka enjoyed going up against the Suns, particularly Devin Booker, with whom he had several run-ins during the series. He helped the Mavs advance 4-3 by recording 32.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per contest in those seven games.

It was supposed to be a battle of offensive juggernauts, with a lot of pundits displaying excitement for the Doncic vs. Booker showdown. However, only Luka held up his end of the bargain, as the Suns shooting guard could only muster 23.4 points per contest. 

Game 7 featured a blowout, and Doncic rubbed salt into Phoenix's wound when he was caught smiling facetiously at his rival. 

The following years would see the two continue to bicker at each other, particularly in the last campaign when D-Book went after Doncic near the end of the Suns' victory against Dallas.

Despite their differences, they don't seem to harbor any bitter feelings towards each other, as evidenced by their most recent meeting when they exchanged pleasantries. Booker congratulated the Mavs superstar for recently becoming a father. 

3. Giving Dillon Brooks the business (November 2023)

Considering that Doncic is one of the greatest players of this generation, elite (and aspiring) defenders have wanted to try their luck in guarding him. Houston Rockets wingman Dillon Brooks is surely one of them, as the NBA's heel has routinely said that he wants the smoke against the best NBA players.

Even so, the two have occasionally conveyed mutual respect for one another, like in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup when Luka repped Slovenia and Brooks had a remarkable run for Team Canada. 

Still, when they chance upon each other on the basketball floor, their competitive fires have overtaken them. For instance, when the Mavs and Rockets battled each other earlier in this campaign, Doncic may have fueled his brewing rivalry with Brooks by talking a bit of trash after the bruising defender botched his layup attempt. 

The contest saw them bicker regularly, with Doncic prevailing in the end. He put up a game-high 41 points and came up one rebound and one assist shy of a triple-double. As for "Dillon the Villain," he had a somewhat miserable night, fouling out late in the fourth quarter but not before scoring 16 points first.

We should expect more fireworks when the Texan rivals face off again later this season. They have already met three times, with Dallas winning two of the meetings.

2. Busting Dunn's (expletive) (December 2023)

Leave it to Luka to find ways to annoy his opponents, even without saying much. Doncic was having his way when the Mavs met the Jazz early in December, becoming the first player in league history to record a 25-point triple-double in a single half. 

Utah was evidently frustrated during various courses of the game, especially since Dallas was on its way to a 50-point blowout. Near the three-minute mark of the third quarter, Kris Dunn may have caught an inadvertent elbow from Doncic and went after the former Rookie of the Year.

In a hilarious scene, Luka, who was sporting a headband for the first time, just laughed instead of fighting back. Interestingly, the officials decided to also whistle a technical foul on the superstar.

Doncic may have been piqued by the referees' decision to pin some of the blame for the altercation on him, so he had some choice words when asked to describe what happened between him and Dunn. Fortunately, the NBA rescinded the tech.

The No. 5 pick of the 2016 NBA Draft got some measure of revenge after Utah routed Dallas by 37 points in the squads' most recent matchup. Luka failed to replicate his production in the previous encounter, putting up just 19 markers, although he did dish out a game-high 14 dimes.

1. Trolling the Grizzlies (December 2023)

It appears fatherhood has had Doncic making faces and teasing others with more ease. Let me offer a piece of evidence: When Dallas clashed with the Memphis Grizzlies last month, he may have shown some of his funniest antics yet by trolling the home crowd when the Mavs were up big in the third period.

He also apparently saw someone in the stands shedding some tears, and as consolation, he offered a towel to the fan.

Funnily enough, it nearly turned into a humiliating outing for Doncic and the Mavs because the Grizzlies almost rallied for the comeback win. Dallas led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter, but Memphis just wouldn't go away quietly in the battle of shorthanded teams.

The Mavs eventually came home with the 120-113 victory, with Luka scoring 35 points and setting an NBA record by becoming the second-fastest guy and youngest ever to amass 1,000 career makes from beyond the arc. 

Doncic has had plenty of other funny moments on the court, and it's likely that he will produce a lot more over time, given his bold and brazen attitude. What matters is that he is able to back up his shenanigans with impressive play. So far, that hasn't been a problem.

To read more about Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, be sure to stay tuned with us.