Believe it or not, it still hasn’t been a year since Luka Dončić joined the Lakers.
He’s already played in LA for parts of two seasons and has signed a contract extension, securing the Lakers as his new home for years to come.
Still, Luka has a lot more memories in a Dallas Mavericks jersey, and that place will always be special to him.
After the Lakers’ loss to the Clippers, Luka spoke about heading back to Dallas this weekend as he prepares to play against the Mavericks.
“Obviously, always going to
feel like home there,” Luka said. “Like I said, I needed that game [last year] to move on a little bit. But obviously, I’ll always appreciate those fans. They were really tight. I think we had a special bond. I really appreciate it all the time.”
Last season, when he returned to Dallas for the first time, Luka was very emotional. He was brought to tears seeing the tribute the team made for him and it was obvious how much the Mavericks meant to him.
Once the game began, though, Luka was his dominant self. He was on a mission and ended the game with 45 points, eight rebounds and six assists, as the Lakers beat the Mavericks 112-97.
Given the shock of the trade, time is the only thing that will ever make the Mavericks feel like just another opponent to Luka.
And maybe, no matter what, he’ll always feel a certain way about the first NBA team he ever played for. He was the franchise player in Dallas, and he had no intention of ever leaving, much less walking away after just seven seasons.
Everyone will be watching how Luka reacts on Saturday as LA takes on Dallas. The Mavs fans will most likely give him a standing ovation, and now that the former general manager, Nico Harrison, is gone, there should be nothing but love for Luka and no other distractions in the arena.
Hopefully, another contest against his former team can further cement closure for Luka as he continues his career with the purple and gold.
Regardless of his emotions, just like last year, expect Luka to be ready to torch Dallas and use this trade as added motivation to be the best version of himself in this contest.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
