Few people have seen Luka Doncic’s excellence from behind closed doors like Michael Finley, the Dallas Mavericks’ deputy general manager and vice president of basketball operations.

That greatness extends beyond what spectators witness on the court from game to game. Finley spoke with 105.3 The Fan about how one day at practice, former Mavs forward Grant Williams, who now plays for the Charlotte Hornets, wasn’t impressed with Doncic’s performance and continued egging him on during a scrimmage.

Williams’ persistent pestering eventually led to Doncic demonstrating that he was more than ready to practise. As a result, Finley saw what happens when the Slovenian star is pushed to his limits, even during practice.

“Grant Williams decided he wanted to get under Luka’s skin,” Finley explained. “He believed Luka wasn’t prepared to practise that day. To cut a long story short, they were playing a scrimmage and he was talking trash to Luka all over the court. Finally, Luka replies ‘OK’, and I tell you, he went on a 26-6 run by himself. You may ask anybody; I am not exaggerating. It was equivalent to a 26-6 run by himself. He presented everything. The threes, the post-up, the floaters, he did it all alone.”

Finley spent the most of his NBA career with the Mavs, where he averaged 19.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 rebounds per game over nine seasons. He formerly played for the Phoenix Suns (1995-1996), the San Antonio Spurs (2005-2009), and the Boston Celtics (2009-2010). Finley was a two-time All-Star who won the NBA Finals with San Antonio in 2007.

Following his playing career, Finley joined the Mavs’ front office. He served as vice president of basketball operations for seven seasons before becoming assistant general manager in 2021.

Finley also mentioned that there were guests present during Doncic’s scoring spree in practice, and that everyone was pleased with his performance.

“Everybody on the sideline, including the coaches, was like ‘Do not poke the bear,'” Finley told ESPN. “Don’t poke the bear. We had visitors in the gym at the time, and they were on the sidelines oohing and aahing. It was unbelievable. The child couldn’t miss, and I’m not talking simple shots. He was displaying the entire repertoire in this five to six-minute period.”