Much of the world seems to be talking about Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter and his decision to charge $8 a month for a blue tick, but Luka Doncic appears to have more cerebral pursuits on his mind when he switches on his phone.
After Musk’s $44 billion acquisition of Twitter was explained to the 23-year-old NBA star by a reporter at a media conference on Tuesday, all Doncic could respond with was a shrug of his shoulders and a simple reply.
“I just play chess on my phone,” said the Dallas Mavericks star.
The three-time All-NBA first teamer’s response prompted a follow-up question asking if the computer usually wins or if the basketball player does when he plays chess.
His answer was so typically Doncic: “I play online. But I win, mostly.”
It’s not the first time he’s shown his love for chess.
After his game-winning performance against the Boston Celtics in February 2021, Doncic was asked how he chooses how to dissect a defense.
“It’s like playing chess: you’ve got to take your time and see the moves,” he told TNT after his 31-point performance.
Last week, Twitter said it would re-introduce a grey “Official” badge for select accounts to help confirm their identities.
The decision came after Twitter was forced to fend off a wave of verified-account impostors, including some posing as former US President Donald Trump, Japanese gaming company Nintendo, and pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, among others.
These accounts were the result of Musk’s decision to offer a blue check mark to any account holder willing to pay $8 a month, no questions asked, as he races to find new ways to make money from the platform.
Not that Doncic is averse to updating his Twitter feed.
A quick scroll through Doncic’s blue tick verified Twitter account sees him celebrating the first basketball court built in Europe by an NBA team – his Mavericks team built a court in his homeland of Slovenia.
And also showing his support for French football star Karim Benzema – who plays for Real Madrid which is where Doncic began is basketball career – following his Ballon D’Or victory in October.
The 26-year-old looks to be devoted sneakerhead, as he thanks on Twitter many of the shoemakers and sponsors he’s had in recent weeks.