Luka Doncic Reveals He Texted Jalen Brunson Before Knicks' NBA Finals Title Win

As far as all-time fumbles by a franchise go, the Mavericks going from having a young backcourt pairing of Luka Dončić and Jalen Brunson to having neither and nothing to show for it is near the top of the list. It's two of the more inexplicable moves in recent NBA history. Dallas watched Brunson excel throughout the 2021-22 season, including the playoffs, and let him walk. Then, two-and-a-half years later, they handed Luka on a silver platter to the Lakers.

A Friendship That Survived the Fallout

Despite both being done dirty by the Mavs — or maybe even because of it — Brunson and Luka have kept a friendship throughout the years. So, when Brunson was on the verge of an NBA title in the Finals, Luka reached out to him, as he recently confirmed in a Spanish interview with the YouTube channel DrafteadosNBA.

What Doncic Actually Said

Doncic detailed the specific exchange during the interview, describing the message he sent ahead of the Knicks' decisive Game 5 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. "We've talked a lot during these Finals," Doncic said of Brunson, according to a rough translation. "Before the last game, I said [to him], 'Just one more.' And then, of course, after he won, I congratulated him. He messaged me back, and I thought, 'He must have so many messages.'"

A Friendship Doncic Describes Plainly

Beyond this specific exchange, Doncic has continued to speak warmly of his former Dallas teammate in recent months. As recently as March, Doncic described the bond plainly: "That's my guy, man. We came into the league together. All the respect, all the love in the world for him." In the same recent interview, Doncic elaborated further on what makes Brunson stand out. "Well, first of all, he's a great guy, a really nice fellow, but I think what sets him apart is that he's a winner."

Doncic Wasn't Able to Watch Live

Despite the close friendship, Doncic revealed he did not actually watch the Finals as they unfolded, citing a logistical rather than emotional reason. Luka did an interview in Slovenia where he revealed he did not watch the Finals, but mainly because the games came on in the middle of the night. He was clearly paying attention to the scores and cheering on his former teammate.

How the Two Stars' Paths Diverged

The relationship between Doncic and Brunson traces back to their shared years together in Dallas, where they formed one of the league's most promising young backcourts before injuries and front-office decisions sent both players down very different paths. Doncic, 27, and Brunson, 29, were teammates together on the Mavericks from 2018-22. Brunson took a backseat to Doncic in Dallas, and they made it to the Western Conference Finals together in 2022. Then later that summer, Brunson left in free agency to sign with the Knicks and blossomed into one of the NBA's elite players.

Brunson has been candid about how difficult that earlier dynamic was for his own confidence. During the NBA Finals media day, Brunson reflected on those Dallas years, saying: "It made me question myself to see how hard I actually had to work to be in the position I wanted to be." He has even admitted that early in his career, he actually thought he had imposter syndrome, watching the attention and expectation that followed Doncic every night.

Brunson's Championship Run

Brunson cemented his legacy by leading the New York Knicks to their first championship in 53 years, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the 2026 NBA Finals. He closed out the Finals with a 45-point masterpiece in Game 5, after averaging over 32 points a night in the series — a run that now etches him into Knicks history, particularly given the early skepticism he faced about his fit as a franchise centerpiece.

That skepticism had once produced one of the more widely mocked comments in recent league history. Initially, critics were skeptical about the decision to build around Brunson in New York. This led to Becky Hammon dropping the infamous "not a 1A player" comment, which has now gone viral in light of his championship run. He even received an apology from Stephen A. Smith following his Finals MVP performance.

Doncic's Own Reflection on 2024 Heartbreak

In the same interview, Doncic also addressed his own most painful postseason memory, reflecting on the Mavericks' 2024 NBA Finals loss to the Boston Celtics, a series widely considered one of the most scrutinized stretches of his career. Doncic averaged nearly 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game in that series, but Dallas still lost 4-1 to Boston, with many fingers pointed at Doncic for the defeat. The turning point came in Game 3, when, with Dallas trying to rally from a 21-point deficit, Doncic fouled out with 4:12 remaining after picking up his sixth foul while defending a Celtics fast break.

Doncic's Own Title Drought Continues

Doncic's situation underscores why Brunson's championship carries such resonance for their friendship. Doncic went on to lead the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals without Brunson but has yet to advance past the second round ever since then now that he is a member of the Lakers, missing this year's playoffs entirely due to a hamstring injury suffered toward the end of the regular season.

Looking Ahead

The hope is that, next spring, it's Brunson sending texts to Luka encouraging him to finish off a Finals win and congratulating him on his first title — a reversal of roles that would complete the arc for two players whose friendship has endured despite the franchise decisions that separated them years ago in Dallas.

With Brunson's championship now secured and Doncic continuing his recovery from injury heading into the offseason, both players' immediate paths diverge significantly: Brunson will look to build on his Finals MVP performance as the centerpiece of a championship-winning Knicks roster, while Doncic and the Lakers face a critical offseason of roster decisions as they attempt to construct a contender capable of finally delivering Doncic the title that has eluded him since his own Finals appearance with Dallas in 2024. Regardless of how either team's roster evolves, the bond formed during their shared years in Dallas appears likely to remain a recurring storyline whenever either player reaches the sport's biggest stage.