Luka Doncic made his emotional return to Dallas on Wednesday as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks welcomed the Slovenian sensation back with a heartfelt tribute video before he was showered with cheers from fans. In similar cases, players aren’t usually greeted so positively from the home crowd, but Doncic was different.
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The crowd’s warm reception for their former superstar raised even more questions about the shocking trade that went down just before February’s deadline. The team’s play since the trade has already underwhelmed, but it’s clear the fanbase never wanted to move on from Doncic in the first place.
“Usually, when a player gets traded, they’re booed… He was cheered throughout the game, and it showed you they loved him. He didn’t want to leave,” ESPN analyst Bobby Marks said on Get Up. “It was a breakup that nobody wanted to happen outside of that Mavericks front office.”
It was a heart-wrenching return for Doncic, who led Dallas to the NBA Finals just last season, but the five-time All-Star managed to focus on the task at hand. With the Lakers’ playoff positioning still in question, Doncic dominated against his former team, easily outplaying who he was traded for, Anthony Davis, in the convincing win.
Dallas return was a whirlwind of emotions for Luka Doncic
Doncic was emotional throughout the Mavs’ pregame tribute video, even tearing up before taking the court with his new team. After nearly six years and countless blood, sweat, and tears shed with Dallas, Luka’s reaction came as no surprise. But neither did his electrifying performance that would follow.
Once the shock of facing his former team in his old city passed, Doncic locked in for one of his best displays of the season. He posted an incredibly efficient 45 points, knocking down 7 threes while also contributing 8 rebounds and 6 assists. With LA barely holding on to the third seed in the West, it was a much-needed outburst from the city’s newest star.
Doncic proved his former ownership wrong right in front of them while also strengthening the Lakers’ grip on home court advantage in the first round. Just one game up on the Nuggets and Clippers, LA still has some work to do before the regular season comes to a close.
Regardless of where the Lakers fall in the stacked Western Conference, though, the team should be feeling confident no matter who their first-round matchup is. With two all-time greats leading the way and a well-balanced supporting cast, Doncic could win his first title just months after being traded.
