Luka Dončić did not hesitate. Asked after Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game which Australian player had given him the toughest battles, the Los Angeles Lakers star offered a surprising answer — one rooted not in international showdowns, but in years of shared practices and playoff runs.
“Josh Green,” Dončić said with a smile.
The response caught some off guard. Australia has produced several high-profile NBA contributors in recent years. But for Dončić, the answer was personal.
He spent four seasons alongside Josh Green with the Dallas Mavericks from 2020 through the 2023-24 campaign. During that stretch, Green evolved from a developmental wing into a reliable rotation contributor, helping Dallas reach the 2024 NBA Finals.
Their daily matchups in practice — and Green’s defensive responsibilities — likely shaped Dončić’s perspective.
Four Years of Daily Battles as Dallas Mavericks
Green was drafted by Dallas in 2020 and quickly found himself learning how to play next to one of the league’s most ball-dominant offensive engines. His role centered on point-of-attack defense, transition energy, cutting, and spot-up shooting — all tailored to complement Dončić.
By the Mavericks’ 2024 Finals run, Green had solidified himself as a trusted rotation wing. He averaged 17.8 minutes, 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists during that postseason, shooting 35.4% from three while operating primarily as a low-usage connector around Dončić and Kyrie Irving.
Green has openly discussed what it takes to thrive alongside Dončić. He has emphasized embracing a role — limiting on-ball reps, spacing the floor properly, and defending at a high level to maximize the gravitational pull created by Dončić and Irving.
In one feature about Dallas’ roster construction, Green joked that “half the stuff that Luka does and Kyrie does, if any other person tried to do it, they would trip over themselves,” highlighting just how unusual Dončić’s skill set is to play off.
After Dončić’s 73-point performance against Atlanta in 2024, Green also pointed to his teammate’s competitiveness and willingness to dive on the floor, noting that despite the scoring explosion, the team’s mindset remained centered on winning.
Josh Green’s Public Support for Luka Dončić and Mutual Respect
Even after being traded to Charlotte in a six-team deal in 2024, Green has continued defending Dončić publicly. When questions about Dončić’s conditioning and leadership surfaced, Green pushed back, citing his international workload with World Cups and the Olympics. He argued that carrying that burden required elite conditioning and described leading a team to the Finals at age 24 as “impressive.”
Ahead of the 2024 Finals, Green said there was a reason Dončić was considered the best player in the world and added — admittedly biased — that he believed Dončić deserved MVP consideration.
Their relationship extended beyond the NBA schedule. The two even shared a lighthearted wager surrounding the Olympic bronze-medal game between Australia and Slovenia, something Green has referenced when discussing his growing confidence around Dončić.
In a recent short-form interview clip, Green recalled an early moment in Dallas when he realized how special Dončić was, pointing to the way he processed the game and controlled tempo differently than anyone else on the floor.
Dominant Present, Shared Past
Now with the Lakers, Dončić is again putting together an MVP-level campaign. He leads the league in scoring at 32.8 points per game while averaging 7.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists.
Green, meanwhile, is in his first full season with the Charlotte Hornets, averaging 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game in a reduced role.
Despite facing higher-profile Australian opponents over the years, Dončić’s answer underscores something different: familiarity.
Few players know Dončić’s tendencies better than Green. Years of guarding him in practice, studying his pace and angles, and navigating his shot creation likely made Green one of the most physically and mentally demanding matchups Dončić has experienced.
The respect, it appears, runs both ways. And when asked who made life hardest among Australia’s NBA representatives, Dončić didn’t need time to think.
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