Amidst all the rush of the festivities in the Bay Area, it’s really easy to forget that Luka Doncic is not an All-Star! Let that sink in. Those in Dallas who are still not sober from the aftermath of the terrible break-up with their Don Luka couldn’t care less about his All-Star status now. But for the rest? That’s a big, big miss. There won’t be any Luka Magic at the Chase Center, the venue of the All-Star games. Not so far away from San Francisco, Doncic will be with his family to have a mental escapade. And just like the fans, there will be one big and sad Nikola Jokic, who will be missing all the shenanigans the two used to have during the All-Star break.

As the practice before the All-Star games was in full swing, there was one other duty the 24 selected players had to do (plus the ones from the Warriors). Jokic might have blown raspberries at the prospect of it, but media availability is a must. The obvious question didn’t take time to be thrown in his way as the reporters pinpointed his hidden wound from Doncic’s absence. “It’s weird because we always have a good night before the game,” the Serbian said when asked about what it’s like to have an All-Star without Doncic.

Their bromance during the special weekend is still fresh in the minds of many. From calling each other out for being a bad teammate to poking fun at each other’s play to teasing a team-up, the two Europeans were in a world of their own among all the stars. But this time it will be a sore miss with Doncic’s absence stinging Jokic.

Doncic, on the other hand, is looking to capitalize on the break to refresh and discharge all the negative energy surrounding his Dallas fallout. The Mavs front office stayed on the offensive to justify their decision by labeling him ‘unprofessional’ and picking on his diet habits. The Slovenian remained composed even after all that as he preferred to lock his inner despair within. “Just mental break for me,” Doncic said about his All-Star weekend plans. “Work out and just trying to have some fun with the family.”

While the 25-year-old unwinds with his family, he will be missed by his Balkan brother, Jokic. But that doesn’t dissuade him from hoping for the best for his close friend’s Lakers future, with a pinch of sadness.

Nikola Jokic reveals Luka Doncic’s mental turmoil from the trade

“I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship,” Doncic revealed in his final letter to Dallas. While his dream of playing for the Lakers was coming to fruition, the feeling of what could have would always hinder the thought of what could be. Being a winner, Jokic can relate to that as he discussed the trade further during the NBA All-Star press conference.

“I think both teams win (the trade) You know? I think Luka is a generational player, generational talent,” Jokic said about Luka’s move to Los Angeles. Despite that, he didn’t forget the hurt Doncic had been through due to the transaction. “He was building something there. I think he was hurt and I think it’s good because then, people will maybe and players are gonna take (it) more seriously.”

Previously, Jokic also mentioned texting Doncic after the trade and got to know it was something the latter “never expected.” But it is what it is. Now, Jokic will have to focus on the task at hand as he defends the bragging rights of Charles Barkley’s Global Superstars team during the All-Star weekend. That’s one job Jokic needs very little help with, as we’ve come to see from his magnificence through the years.