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Dallas Mavericks

Fan heckling Mavericks' Luka Doncic in Slovenian turned out to be this NBA great: 'I was truly surprised'

By Ryan Gaydos Fox News
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Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was out of bounds inbounding the ball to one of his teammates in a game Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers when he heard someone behind him heckling him in Slovenian.

Doncic, who is from Ljubljana, Slovenia, turned around and was started to see who was behind him talking trash in his native language. It was NBA legend Kobe Bryant.

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The 20-year-old Mavericks phenom appeared delighted to see Bryant when he turned around. Doncic shook Bryant’s hand then turned back around to inbound the ball.

“He was talking Slovenian,” Doncic said after the game. “So I was like ‘Who’s talking my language?’ I looked over and I was truly surprised.”

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Bryant is said to be able to speak several different languages and is fluent in Italian and Spanish. He spent most of his young life in Italy after his NBA-playing father moved his family to the country to continue his professional basketball career. Bryant is also said to have learned Spanish so he would be able to better communicate with Pau Gasol when he joined the Lakers.

Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant, left, greets Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic after an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 108-95. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker)

Former Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant, left, greets Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic after an NBA basketball game Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 108-95. (AP Photo/Michael Owen Baker)

Portland Trail Blazers center Jusurf Nurkic, from Bosnia and Herzegovina, told ESPN in March he was surprised to learn that Bryant briefly spoke in his language.

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“[Bryant] actually said a word in my language,” he said. “I’m I was like, ‘I didn’t really hear right. He can’t speak my language!’ Then we go back and forward, and he goes again to [shoot] free throws. And he repeats that! It was [a] curse word! I was like, ‘I’m pretty sure he said that!’”