Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Dončić may no longer play in Dallas, but he still has love for the city. While the rest of his Lakers teammates hopped on a plane following their win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, Dončić stayed in town to host a youth basketball event and promote his new shoe.
Dončić held the event at a Dick’s Sporting Goods store Thursday. He met with young players, signed autographs and helped out at the register.
He managed that less than 24 hours after dropping 45 points in a 112-97 win against his former team.
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Given the timing and location of the event, it’s likely it was scheduled prior to the shocking trade that sent Dončić to the Lakers. Considering that, Dončić could have canceled or moved the event, but chose to honor his commitment. It was a nice gesture from a player who was shown a lot of love by Dallas fans Wednesday night.
Dončić’s return marked an emotional night for the superstar, who had to wipe back tears during warmups. Following the game, Dončić had nothing but positive things to say about Mavericks fans, though admitted he probably needs to “move on” now that he’s a member of the Lakers.
As expected, Dončić is making a huge impact with Los Angeles. The team is 21-12 since the trade and already clinched a playoff spot. If the season ended today, the Lakers would be the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, and they need one win to clinch that seed. The Mavericks, meanwhile, will need to make it through the play-in if the team hopes to go on a deep playoff run without Dončić.