DALLAS — Tuesday night was an impassioned one for the Lakers, especially Luka Doncic, with Doncic being ejected during the fourth quarter of the road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder after receiving his second technical foul of the matchup.
But Doncic will likely have an even more emotional Wednesday night when the Lakers play the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center, which will be Doncic’s first in Dallas since, shockingly, being traded to the Lakers in early February.
Doncic hasn’t played at American Airlines Center since last suiting up for the Mavericks Dec. 25, when he suffered a strained left calf injury that sidelined him for 6 ½ weeks – a period that included being traded to the Lakers on Feb. 2. The Lakers have gone 20-12 since the trade, while the Mavericks have slumped to a 12-18 record amid injuries.
“There’s gonna be a lot of emotion for me,” Doncic said after Tuesday’s loss to the Thunder. “I don’t really know what to expect. I don’t know how I’m gonna feel, honestly. I’m looking forward to being back in Dallas, obviously, with the fans, seeing my teammates – ex-teammates. It’s gonna be very emotional for me, for sure.”
Wednesday will be Doncic’s second game against his former team.
The Lakers hosted the Mavericks just a few weeks after the trade that brought Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to Los Angeles and sent Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round draft pick to Dallas.
The Utah Jazz also acquired Jalen Hood-Schifino, the Clippers’ 2025 second-round pick and the Mavericks’ 2025 second-round pick as part of the three-team deal.
The Lakers beat the Mavericks 107-99 on Feb. 25 at Crypto.com Arena. Doncic finished with a 19-point, 15-rebound, 12-assist triple-double to go with three steals and a pair of blocked shots in his first game against his former team, but he shot 6 of 17 from the field (1 for 7 on 3-pointers).
He acknowledged the emotions of that night, saying after the Feb. 25 game, “Closure is going to take a while” – a process he’s still going through.
“I mean, honestly, I don’t know about closure,” Doncic said on Tuesday. “It’s obviously a lot. But, like I said, I’m excited to be back [there]. I know the fans are gonna appreciate me being back here. I don’t know how I’m gonna feel. But I’m just excited to go back.”
Doncic is expected to be showered in adulation from Mavericks fans who, like Doncic, expected the 26-year-old Slovenian star to be a cornerstone for the franchise for his entire NBA career after being in Dallas for 6 ½ seasons.
The Mavericks are expected to have a tribute video for Doncic and t-shirts for fans in attendance.
The treatment Doncic receives from Mavericks fans will be unlike what LeBron James witnessed during his first game back in Cleveland against the Cavaliers in December 2010 while playing for the Miami Heat. Or Kevin Durant’s first game back in Oklahoma City against the Thunder in February 2017.
Unlike other star players of his caliber who have moved on to another team, Doncic didn’t want to leave Dallas.
He didn’t request that the Mavericks trade him. Doncic didn’t leave the team in free agency, nor did he give the franchise reason to believe he wouldn’t sign the supermax contract extension the Mavericks could have offered him this summer.
The Mavericks, led by general manager Nico Harrison, spearheaded Doncic’s surprising move to the Lakers.
“His situation’s going to be totally different than mine,” James said. “He’ll get a standing ovation and people will clap and cheer. He’ll hear his name a lot. That’s what I’m expecting. My situation was totally different. He had no other choice in the matter of what happened in his situation. I did. So it will be totally different.”