This Viral Clip Shows Why Jarred Vanderbilt May Be Luka Doncic's Best Teammate Ever
Mar 18, 2026
On Monday, the line “Get yourself a teammate like Jarred Vanderbilt” was getting traction on social media. Unsurprisingly, Luka Dončić had something to do with it.
A viral clip from the Los Angeles Lakers-Houston Rockets game shows Dončić walking up to a referee after the halftime buzzer sounded. As Dončić made some sort of plea to the official, Vanderbilt stood right beside him, in a manner not unlike a personal enforcer.
Not satisfied, Dončić walked over to another referee who was getting an earful from Marcus Smart. The Slovenian superstar began mouthing off again, and as he did so, Vanderbilt (literally) stood behind him.
While this is certainly a kind gesture from Vanderbilt, who has been sharing a locker room with Dončić for over a year now, there could be a practical reason behind this bodyguard-like persona. Just like the rest of the Lakers’ lineup and coaching staff, Vando is aware that Dončić has incurred 15 technical fouls this season. One more tech, and Dončić will have to serve a one-game suspension.
The playoff seedings are by no means locked in, and as such, the Lakers cannot afford to miss Dončić’s services for even a single game at this point. Vanderbilt, then, could have been trailing his teammate to ensure that nothing untoward would happen.
Vanderbilt’s actions here echo another moment with Dončić earlier this month. During a tense moment in a Lakers-Warriors game, Dončić and head coach JJ Redick were having a squabble on the bench. When Redick did not reciprocate Dončić’s attempt to dap up, the six-time All-Star rose from his seat. Right away, Vando stood up as well and applauded his teammates on the court. Conveniently, the big man stood between Dončić and Redick, preempting a physical altercation right there and then.
Vanderbilt (who averages 4.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and 1.2 apg) will perhaps never come close to Dončić’s explosive skill set on offense. However, the 6-foot-8 forward was acquired by the Lakers for an entirely different purpose: to defend multiple positions and create mismatches.
On multiple occasions, Vanderbilt has come to the defense of Dončić and the Lakers’ best interests. Now that’s a teammate that any NBA player would want to have.
