Inside the bond 'Tisse is building with Luka Doncic

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‍Five years after defensive wing Matisse Thybulle held Luka Doncic to just 22 points to help the Boomers win their first Olympic Games medal, the 29-year-old was in Slovenia with the NBA superstar as part of the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I think Slovenia was great,” Thybulle said.

“Luka comes from a unique part of the world that not a lot of people get to see.

“Getting a sense of who he is and where he comes from was huge. But I think it all happens on the basketball court.

“The more chances we get to play together – everything comes with growing pains – the more we’ll get to know each other. We’ll learn how to play with Luka and (Austin Reeves), and vice versa.

“I think it’ll come, and it’ll be pretty special.”

Thybulle signed as a free agent with one of the sport’s most storied teams in August after four injury-riddled seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Thybulle, a dual Australian-American citizen, reflected on his match-up against Doncic on August 7, 2021, in the Bronze Medal match at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Doncic finished with 22 points (7-for-20) in 36 minutes while Thybulle was elite, putting up 11 points (5-for-6), five rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block.

“I’ve had to guard Luka in the NBA, in the Olympics. It’s never fun guarding him,”  Thybulle said.

“Our whole game plan (at the Olympics) was, ‘How do we stop Luka?’

“I was coming off the bench for most of the Olympics, but for that game they actually put me in the starting lineup to guard Luka. I ended up having one of my better nights.

“We had a really good game plan that made it hard for their whole team, and we were able to pull it out.”

The significance of joining the Lakers, the second Australian to do so after Andrew Bogut, didn't escape Thybulle. When he looks up from the floor on Crypto.com Arena, he’ll see the retired jerseys of NBA legends Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. When he looks into the first row, he’ll also see Hollywood royalty – a lot of Hollywood royalty.

“It’s exciting to be on the home side of things,” he said.

“You feel what it’s like when you come and play in Crypto Arena.

"You feel the energy and see the celebrities in the crowd, but they’re there to support the Lakers and not you.

“To know that I’m now on the team they’re all supporting is going to be an awesome feeling.”

But it’s his defence that’s been his calling card. Thybulle was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team in 2021 and 2022 while at the Philadelphia 76ers.

“Definitely the reputation,” he said.

“I’m not really up to date on the analytics of it all, but just to know that it’s backed up by numbers always helps. This is what I bring to the table. It’s proven in the numbers. You come to a game, you’ll see it for yourself.

“So much of defence is energy. I’ve always been a player who tries to bring that. Looking at our roster, there are more guys like me who bring that kind of intensity and energy.

“It’s one thing if you have one player. If you’ve got three or four guys, it becomes almost impossible not to get on board.”

But don’t think Thybulle will be guarding the ball; head coach JJ Reddick has already pushed him to be more aggressive on the offensive end.

“The things I’ve got better at offensively and grown at in the league are the things I think complement Luka and AR well: being able to space the floor, be ready for corner threes and fast-break opportunities,” he said.

“I can be a floor-spacing piece and an option for them on the fast break.”

The Los Angeles Lakers play their first game of the preseason against Ben Simmons’ Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 1pm (AEDT). Thybulle’s first game in purple and gold comes against Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors on Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 1pm (AEDT).