Luka Doncic’s Return To Dallas

       Luka Donic finally returns back to the Dallas Mavericks (Mavs) home-court, but only this time as a teammate on the opposing team. It was no doubt that this would be an emotional game to watch since Luka is such a valuable player to the entire Mavs fan base. This would be Luka’s first time back in Dallas ever since the shocking trade that shook the whole sports world, where Luka would be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and Max Christie. 

      Before tip off, Luka is seen greeting his former teammates; it was clear that he was happy to be back to the place where he once called home. During the Lakers starting lineup announcements, right before Luka’s name was announced, the Mavericks played a tribute video thanking Doncic for all he has done since being drafted to the team in 2019. Watching Luka’s reaction to the video was super sweet and emotional; the superstar was fighting back tears as he saw how important he was to the team and fans. Once they finally announced Luka Doncic into the starting lineup, the crowd erupted into cheers where he was then reconnected with his current teammates, hugging them. 

          Every time Luka touched the basketball, passed it, or even shot it, the crowd cheered loudly. The atmosphere in the arena was different from what I had ever seen; it was like the fans didn’t care who won or lost. Of course, fans cheered for their home team, but it was surprising to see them cheering for the Lakers at times. This was definitely a game like no other, filled with so much emotion following the bitter-sweet return of Luka Doncic.

         Luka put on a show on his former home-court:  dropping 45 points, 8 rebounds, and six assists—a near triple-double. He put up 31 of those points in the first half! Of course, seeing Doncic’s great performance in this game, made all Mavs reminisce about the good old days when they had Luka on their squad. The Lakers took the win: winning the game 112-97. 

          It was really sweet to see the fans’ excitement to have their favorite guard back. Hearing the cheers throughout the entire game for Luka, really shows how much he meant to the Mavericks franchise. Tonight’s game made it clear that Luka will never be forgotten and will always have a special place in Dallas.

Image Courtesy of GoodFon