The Slovenian superstar is loving the beach lifestyle as Los Angeles continues to feel like home.
After the Los Angeles Lakers rolled past the Los Angeles Clippers 135-118 on Tuesday night, Luka Dončić took a moment in his postgame interview with a Slovenian reporter to reflect on his new life in Southern California.
When asked about how things have been going since his move to Los Angeles, Dončić offered a warm and honest response in his native Slovenian.
"Good. I never lived by the sea before, so that is one of really beautiful things," Dončić said. "Weather is great, beach... what to say. I have an apartment, I mean house. So I settled here nicely."
Dončić Has Been on Fire This Season
The quote says a lot about where Dončić is mentally as he continues to put together one of the best stretches of his career.
On Tuesday, Dončić exploded for 43 points, 13 assists, and nine rebounds, coming just one board short of his 10th career 40-point triple-double. It was the 51st time in his career that the 26-year-old superstar has dropped at least 40 points.
Through 13 games this season, Dončić is averaging a league-leading 35.2 points per game along with 8.8 rebounds and 9.2 assists.
He has recorded at least 30 points in four straight games and six of his last nine, and his numbers put him squarely in the MVP conversation alongside Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Lakers Rolling on Five-Game Win Streak
The win over the Clippers pushed the Lakers to 13-4 on the season, good for second in the Western Conference and first in the Pacific Division.
Los Angeles has now won five straight games and clinched their spot in the NBA Cup knockout rounds with a 3-0 record in group play.
Meanwhile, the Clippers fell to 5-13 on the year and sit 12th in the Western Conference. James Harden led LA's other team with 26 points, but it was not nearly enough to slow down Dončić and the Lakers' high-powered offense.
LeBron James chipped in 25 points, six rebounds, and six assists, while Austin Reaves added 31 points and nine rebounds to round out a dominant night for the home team.
Dončić Has Embraced the LA Lifestyle
Since being traded from the Dallas Mavericks in February, Dončić has fully committed to his new home.
He signed a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Lakers in August, and shortly after that he purchased a $25 million mansion in Manhattan Beach that was previously owned by tennis legend Maria Sharapova.
The beachside location was a big selling point for Dončić, who has spoken before about his love for the ocean. "The ocean is my favorite thing and the beach," Dončić said during training camp. "I'm a big water guy. Everywhere I played, I never got to experience the ocean, so now it's great."
Marketing Machine
Dončić's move to Los Angeles has been a goldmine for marketing and branding.
Jordan Brand released multiple advertisements featuring their star athlete, including a viral ad set to George Strait's "All My Ex's Live in Texas" that showed Dončić swapping Texas license plates for California ones.
Gatorade also got in on the action with a Hollywood-themed campaign that reimagined the iconic HOLLYWOOD sign to include Dončić's No. 77 jersey.
Since arriving in LA, Dončić has gone from the sixth-best selling jersey in the NBA to No. 1. Ticket prices for Lakers games have reportedly risen by 19 percent, and jersey and memorabilia sales spiked over 1,100 percent following the trade.
The Lakers have a big matchup coming up on Friday when they host the Dallas Mavericks, giving Dončić another chance to face his former team.