Late in the fourth quarter of Luka Dončić’s 52-point detonation against the Utah Jazz on Sunday to propel the Los Angeles Lakers to a 3-0 start, Salt Lake City’s Delta Center broke out in “M-V-P” chants for the Slovenian.
While Dončić’s dominant performance rightfully warranted such a coronation, this isn’t the first or second time during the 2026 calendar year that he’s received MVP chants inside an opposing team’s arena. When he dropped 60
points, seven rebounds, five steals and three assists in a road win over the Miami Heat on March 19, Kaseya Center also broke out the MVP hymn.
Two months prior, when he tallied 33 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, one steal and one block against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, American Airlines Center sang a similar tune for Dončić.
“Lakers fans travel, I guess. Getting MVP chants in someone else’s arena is crazy,” Walker Kessler told reporters following Sunday’s victory over Utah. “But, I mean obviously deserving. It speaks for itself, but it’s good to hear.”
Heck, 2.5 years ago — before he even became a member of the Lakers — he notched 35 points, 18 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and one block as Dallas dispatched the Brooklyn Nets inside Barclays Center, which prompted MVP chants down the stretch. This is a recurring phenomenon throughout Dončić’s esteemed career.
Collin Sexton, a fellow member of Dončić’s 2018 draft class, has watched his new teammate take over games for many years as an opponent. But now, they’ve joined forces on the Lakers. Sexton prefers seeing these spectacles while wearing the same colors as Dončić.
“Honestly, being on his side, once he gets hot, he gets hot,” Sexton said Sunday. “I feel like he’s always under control. He’s always at his own pace. I’ve been on the other side where he can’t miss so it’s definitely good to be on this side for sure.”
Los Angeles hosts the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday night, so Dončić’s next chance to ignite MVP chants on the road will come Wednesday at Intuit Dome against the crosstown rival Los Angeles Clippers at 7:30 p.m.
You can follow Jackson on Twitter at @jackfrank_jjf.
