Michael Finley has spent enough time around Luka Dončić to know there are certain things teammates should probably avoid doing.
Near the top of that list: giving him a reason to get angry. Finley once told a remarkable story from a Dallas Mavericks practice involving Dončić and former teammate Grant Williams. According to Finley, Williams believed Dončić had arrived at practice without his usual intensity and decided to challenge him verbally during a scrimmage. Williams kept talking as the two went up and down the floor.
Eventually, Dončić had enough.
Finley said Dončić essentially responded with a simple “OK” before taking over the scrimmage. What followed was one of those practice performances that becomes part of a team’s internal mythology.
According to Finley, Dončić personally fueled a 26-6 run in roughly five or six minutes, scoring in virtually every way possible.
Finley remembered Dončić hitting threes, working from the post, converting floaters and repeatedly making difficult shots while coaches, players and guests watched from the sideline.
“Do not poke the bear,” became the reaction around the gym, Finley recalled.
“[Grant Williams] decided he wanted to get under Luka’s skin,” Finley said. “He felt that Luka didn’t come that day ready to practice. So to make a long story short, they had a scrimmage going and he’s talking trash to Luka up and down the court. Finally, Luka says ‘OK’ and I tell you, Luka went on a 26-6 run by himself. You can ask anybody, I’m not exaggerating. It was like a 26-6 run by himself. He showed everything. The 3’s, the post-up, the floaters, everything by himself. Everybody on the sideline, including the coaches, was like ‘Do not poke the bear. Do not poke the bear. We had guests in the gym at the time and they were on the sideline oohing and aahing. It was unbelievable. The kid couldn’t miss [and] I’m not talking easy shots. He was showing the whole repertoire in this five, six-minute span.”
The story originally surfaced in March 2024, when Finley was serving in the Mavericks’ front office. Williams had already been traded from Dallas to Charlotte by then, ending a brief Mavericks tenure that lasted only part of the 2023-24 season.
Michael Finley tells the story of Grant Williams talking trash to Luka in practice, leading to Luka going on a 26-6 run by himself (via r/lakers) pic.twitter.com/DdHtgdz26F
— Courtside Lakers (@CourtsideLaker) August 16, 2026
