“‘He Named the Baby After Me!’ Austin Reaves Jokes About Luka Dončić’s Newborn Son, Mateo Austin Dončić, as Social Media Creates Hilarious Fake Drama That Had to Be Debunked”
INTRODUCTION THE BABY NAME HEARD AROUND THE NBA
Every once in a while, the internet decides to take something completely normal, twist it into the most dramatic storyline imaginable, and turn it into a meme-fueled carnival of jokes, reactions, and chaotic creativity. This week, that unsuspecting target was none other than Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Dončić, his wife Anamaria Goltes, their newborn son Mateo Austin Dončić, and unexpectedly Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves.
What should have been a wholesome, heartfelt celebration of Luka becoming a father for the second time quickly transformed into one of the funniest NBA-adjacent social media storms of the year. And to be clear, none of it was real drama it was just the internet doing what the internet loves to do: joke, exaggerate, and create storylines out of thin air.
The spark?
A single screenshot of Austin Reaves playfully reacting to Luka naming his son Mateo Austin Dončić a middle name he joked was inspired by him.
Then came the memes.
Then came the jokes.
Then came the conspiracy theories.
Then came the people who don’t understand jokes and took it entirely too seriously.
And within hours, a wholesome baby announcement became the NBA’s funniest fake scandal of 2025.
This article dives deep into everythin the reactions, the memes, the jokes, the fan theories, and the truth behind it all (which is very, very simple):
Luka and Anamaria chose the name. Austin Reaves was just being funny. And social media? Social media ran wild.
THE MOMENT EVERYTHING WENT VIRAL AUSTIN REAVES’ JOKE THAT STARTED IT ALL
It all began when Austin Reaves tweeted something jokingly reacting to the newborn baby’s name:
“HE NAMED HIS BABY AFTER ME. I KNOW THAT’S A CUTE NAME, THAT’S IT?”
It was the perfect combination of playful and unserious typical Reaves humor.
Fans instantly understood he was joking.
But the internet? Oh, the internet had other plans.
Within minutes, the post spread across Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and even NBA meme pages that exist solely to add unnecessary dramatic music to everything. Users edited Reaves dropping the mic. Others made fake quote cards. Someone even created a photoshopped picture of Luka presenting his baby to Reaves like Simba in The Lion King.
The thing people love about Austin Reaves is that he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He knows how to laugh at situations, and this time, he leaned all the way in. For him, it was humor. For fans, it was fuel.
And then Luka responded which only made the fire burn hotter.
He laughed it off and jokingly clapped back:
“THAT’S MY WIFE’S CHOICE, B*TCH. I JUST LISTEN TO HER. I DON’T WANT TO SLEEP ON THE COUCH.”
The moment Luka brought his wife into the conversation, fans felt like they had free license to create fake soap-opera scenarios. Suddenly, the memes weren’t just about Austin claiming the name…
They became about a completely imaginary love triangle, fake drama, and storylines straight out of a telenovela.
HOW A WHOLESOME BABY NAME TURNED INTO THE FUNNIEST FAKE NBA DRAMA OF THE YEAR
“Luka named the baby after Austin because Reaves is the real father.”
This was the wildest and of course, absolutely untrue.
The phrase circulated because fans were being silly, not because anyone believed it.
“Anamaria and Austin must be close friends.”
Again total fiction created by strangers with too much free time.
“Austin Reaves is now the godfather of Mateo Austin Dončić.”
This one was so persistent that actual news pages in Europe had to clarify it was a joke.
In reality?
The child’s middle name ‘Austin’ has nothing to do with Reaves.
It’s a completely normal name chosen personally by Luka and Anamaria.
But the internet loves drama especially drama that doesn’t actually hurt anyone.
Fans weren’t trying to insult Luka or his wife.
They weren’t attacking Austin Reaves.
It was all humor, exaggeration, and typical NBA fandom chaos the same way people once joked that:
🔥 “Devin Booker is the father of half the Kardashian family.”
🔥 “Kyle Kuzma and LeBron were secretly related.”
🔥 “Alex Caruso was the NBA’s bald savior sent from the heavens.”
It’s part of how NBA culture works humor is woven into fandom.
LUKA DONČIĆ AND ANAMARIA GOLTES THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE NAME
Away from the noise, the reality is beautiful and simple.
Luka Dončić and Anamaria Goltes welcomed their baby boy, Mateo Austin Dončić, into the world a moment of pure joy, family unity, and emotional celebration.
The couple has always been open about their love for classic, meaningful names. Their naming style for their children clearly reflects:
✔ International heritage
✔ Family significance
✔ Names that work in Slovenia, Spain, and America
The name Mateo is timeless and used across Europe.
The middle name Austin? Elegant, modern, easy to pronounce, and holds personal value to the family.
No drama.
No scandals.
No secret relationships.
Just a normal, loving family choosing a beautiful name for their newborn child.
But it’s the internet so of course, someone somewhere had to turn it into a telenovela.
AUSTIN REAVES THE UNINTENTIONAL STAR OF THE BABY-NAME MEME UNIVERSE
What made the situation even funnier is that Austin Reaves played along with it.
He wasn’t offended, confused, or bothered.
He wasn’t distancing himself from it.
He wasn’t clarifying anything.
He simply leaned into the humor which reflected his personality perfectly.
Austin Reaves has always been:
✔ Social-media savvy
✔ A fan-favorite
✔ Self-aware
✔ Good at trolling without being disrespectful
✔ Great at connecting with fans through humor
And in this case, he became the internet’s favorite “fake uncle,” “fake godfather,” and “fake baby name influencer” all completely made-up roles fans assigned him.
THE TRUTH NO SCANDAL, JUST SOCIAL MEDIA HAVING FUN
Let’s make it clear:
✔ No, Austin Reaves has no involvement in naming the baby.
✔ No, there is no connection between Austin and Luka’s wife.
✔ No, there is no drama between the families.
✔ No, Luka didn’t name his baby after Austin.
✔ Yes, Luka and Austin are friends who joke around.
✔ Yes, social media exaggerated everything.
✔ Yes, it’s all harmless and funny.
The internet created a fake scandal because humor spreads faster than reality.
And when a fanbase is as massive as Luka’s, Austin’s, and the NBA community combined, the memes practically create themselves.
HOW THIS MOMENT WILL LIVE FOREVER IN NBA MEME HISTORY
Even though the rumor wasn’t real, this moment will live forever for one reason:
It was pure, wholesome NBA comedy.
Fans weren’t mean.
Nobody was insulted.
Nobody was dragged.
Nobody spread harmful narratives.
Instead, everyone celebrated Luka’s baby with laughter, memes, jokes, and a sense of community.
In a world where NBA controversies often get toxic, this was refreshing a reminder that sometimes the internet can be funny without being harmful.
And of course, in a year when NBA fans have already seen:
🔥 The Clippers plane stuck on a runway for hours
🔥 Players beefing over box-outs
🔥 Coaches walking away from players mid-conversation
🔥 Viral courtside moments involving trainers
🔥 Fake drama between teammates who actually get along