Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic appears to be like up at a big video board paying a tribute to the previous Dallas Mavericks participant earlier than an NBA basketball sport in Dallas, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Picture/Julio Cortez)
DALLAS— Luka Doncic entered the court docket with the Los Angeles Lakers for his first sport again in Dallas to cheers in an area the place draped over each seat was a T-shirt with “Hvala za vse” throughout the entrance.
That Slovenian phrase interprets to “thanks for the whole lot.”
Then got here the tribute, a video of Doncic’s time with the Mavericks after the remainder of the Lakers’ beginning lineup had been launched earlier than his first sport again in Dallas on Wednesday evening, when he scored 45 factors to match a season excessive in a 112-97 victory that clinched a playoff spot for the Lakers.
READ: NBA: Luka Doncic will get ejected the evening earlier than his return to Dallas
“Introduced tears to my eyes,” Doncic advised ESPN proper after the sport. “I got here as a younger child right here, was 18, and never understanding what to anticipate from NBA, and (the Mavericks) made me really feel like residence, and it’s simply loads of nice, nice reminiscences.”
Doncic was alone on the bench for greater than two minutes trying as much as a few of his many highlights in Dallas — from his NBA rookie of the 12 months season into final 12 months’s NBA Finals — although he didn’t make it throughout earlier than placing his head down and wiping away tears. His eyes have been nonetheless crimson as soon as he was launched and got here on the court docket along with his teammates who surrounded him, together with a number of hugs.
As for enjoying after that emotional video, he mentioned, “I don’t understand how I did it as a result of after I was watching that video, I used to be like, ‘There’s no approach I’m enjoying this sport.’ However, , all my teammates had my again. They have been actually supporting me.”
Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic turns into emotional as he watches a video on the big video board that was a tribute to the previous Dallas Mavericks participant earlier than an NBA basketball sport in Dallas, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Picture/LM Otero)
Everybody knew it was going to be an emotional evening with Doncic carrying his No. 77 jersey for the Lakers. It was for each the 26-year-old from Slovenia and people Mavericks followers who have been there when he wore that quantity in Mavericks blue the primary 5 1/2 seasons of his profession.
Proper after tipoff, the mantra “Hearth Nico” broke out, directed towards Nico Harrison, the Mavericks basic supervisor who traded Doncic. That chant received louder and longer within the first quarter, and was repeated quite a few instances all through the sport.
READ: NBA: Luka Doncic’s Mavericks reunion was ‘so bizarre’
Doncic’s return got here two months after that seismic commerce out of nowhere. He had been the face of the Mavericks, and he was the NBA scoring champion final season once they made it to the NBA Finals. The 2019 rookie of the 12 months had two seasons left on his contract earlier than the commerce the primary weekend of February in a package deal that introduced Anthony Davis to Dallas.
“Truthfully, I don’t find out about closure. It’s clearly quite a bit,” Doncic mentioned after a loss at Oklahoma Metropolis on Tuesday evening. “I do know the followers are going to understand me being again right here. Truthfully, I don’t understand how I’m going to really feel, however I’m simply excited to be again.”
Endlessly our brate. Thanks, 77. #MFFL pic.twitter.com/k9gRH8RtRE
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) April 9, 2025
Not lengthy earlier than the sold-out sport, tickets on the secondary marketplace for upper-level seats have been nonetheless listed for greater than $200, excluding charges. For the Mavericks closing residence sport Friday evening in opposition to Toronto, related tickets have been accessible for lower than $20 earlier than charges.
Mavericks followers carried out a mock funeral exterior the American Airways Middle on Feb. 2, proper after information of the commerce late the earlier evening. There have been protests and loads of ire directed at Harrison, together with “Hearth Nico!” exhibiting up on loads of indicators and T-shirts. As for the GM, he hasn’t spoken to the media since feedback he made proper after the deal was finished when he mentioned he felt the crew was “constructed to win now in addition to sooner or later.”
Whereas there have been no organized protests exterior the world earlier than the sport, loads of individuals wore No. 77 jerseys — each the purple and gold ones of the Lakers and Mavericks jerseys as nicely, although a few of these residence ones had the Dallas emblem coated up. There have been even some Slovenia jerseys.
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One fan sitting a few rows behind the Dallas bench had a Mavericks No. 77 jersey, however had “Lakers” written on duct tape overlaying up the brand. A fan exterior wore a Los Angeles jersey with duct tape overlaying the Lakers emblem that learn “Former Mavs fan.”
This isn’t the primary time Doncic performed the Mavericks. He had a triple-double (19 factors, 15 rebounds and 12 assists) within the Lakers’ 107-99 residence win on Feb. 25, solely 23 days after the commerce.
