The Dallas Mavericks showed their appreciation for Luka Dončić in his return to the American Airlines Center on Wednesday. After starring with the franchise for six-and-a-half seasons, Dončić was shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers in a shocking February trade.
The Mavericks hoped to erase any bad blood from the trade by paying tribute to Dončić before he took the court Wednesday. The team put together a pregame video of Dončić’s almost seven years in Dallas, including highlights and off-court moments from his time with the franchise.
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Dončić was visibly emotional during the tribute, wiping away tears before being announced as part of the Lakers’ starting lineup.
Prior to the contest, the team laid out shirts featuring the Slovenian phrase “Hvala za vse” on each seat in the arena. The phrase roughly translates to “thank you so much” or “thank you for everything.”
The franchise should be thankful for Dončić’s contributions. After being acquired by the Mavericks during the 2018 NBA Draft, Dončić excelled immediately, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award in his first season.
He got even better from there. Over the next five seasons, Dončić made the All-Star team and was named first-team All-NBA each year. He posted three top-five MVP finishes over that period, and never finished lower than eighth in the voting.
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The Mavericks made four playoff appearances with Dončić, getting all the way to the NBA Finals last season. Despite Dončić averaging 29.2 points per game in the Finals, the team fell to the Boston Celtics in five games.
Dončić was once again having a typically good season but was out with a calf injury when he was traded. The deal sparked outrage among Mavericks fans, who showed up in force to protest the move. Shortly after the trade, Dončić thanked the fans for their support.
Given those reactions, it’s not a surprise Dončić received a raucous ovation when he took the court Wednesday. Even with the support from Dallas fans, he didn’t let that stop him from showing out: Dončić put up 45 points in an easy Lakers win against his old franchise.
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After the game, Dončić said that he felt “so many emotions” watching the video.
“It brought tears to my eyes,” he said. “I came (to Dallas) as a young kid. … They made me feel like home. Just a lot of great memories.
“I’m so happy,” Dončić added. “I love these fans, I love this city, but it’s time to move on.”
Dončić admitted he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to play well after such an emotional moment pregame. But he said his teammates were the ones who helped him thrive.
“I don’t know how I did it, because when I was watching that video I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m playing this game.’ But all my teammates had my back. They really supported me, so I appreciate that,” Dončić said.
“Just to be back with the fans that I spent six and a half years with, you know, supporting me like that was just unbelievable,” he added.
The Lakers secured a playoff berth with Wednesday night’s win and one more victory would mean claiming the No. 3 seed in the West. The Lakers play Houston on Friday and Portland on Sunday.