Novak Djokovic was present at the Los Angeles Lakers’ 128-104 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, March 1, in Los Angeles. The Serbian tennis champion shared a warm moment with Slovenian basketball star Luka Doncic, who is estimated to be worth $100 million. After the game, Doncic praised Djokovic as his “GOAT,” expressing admiration for the tennis legend’s presence at the event.
Doncic, the standout performer for the Lakers with 28 points and nine assists, expressed excitement about Djokovic attending the game. During a post-match press conference, the six-time NBA All-Star revealed his eagerness to watch Djokovic play at the upcoming BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
“For me, he’s the GOAT, so just for him being here watching me, it’s just unreal. I’m just really excited he’s here. I already told him I’d love to attend one of his matches,”
Doncic said.
Djokovic, 38, is currently in California preparing for the Indian Wells tournament and also interacted with Lakers star LeBron James during the event.
Djokovic’s Recent Struggles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells
Novak Djokovic’s recent performances at Indian Wells have fallen short of expectations for the tennis great. After a five-year absence since his third-round defeat to Philipp Kohlschreiber in 2019, Djokovic returned to the BNP Paribas Open in 2024 but was eliminated in the third round by Luca Nardi, who caused one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
The previous year, Djokovic exited even earlier, losing to Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round, with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 scoreline. Reflecting on that match, Djokovic admitted to reporters that he was below his best and felt disappointed by his performance.
“Obviously no excuses for a poor performance. It doesn’t feel great when you play this way on the court, but congratulations to my opponent. Just a bad day in the office, I guess, for me. I regret the level of tennis considering how I practice these days,”
Djokovic said.
Significance of Indian Wells for Djokovic’s 2024 Season
The Indian Wells tournament is an important event for Djokovic, who has won the ATP Masters 1000 title there a joint-record five times. This year’s appearance marks his first competitive match since his narrow loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open final. Given his recent challenges at this hardcourt event, Djokovic’s performance in Indian Wells is closely watched as an indicator of his current form and potential for the rest of the season.
With both Djokovic and Doncic spotlighted at the Indian Wells event—Djokovic competing on the tennis court and Doncic drawing attention for his basketball prowess—the crossover of sport stars highlights the growing intersection between tennis and basketball fans.
