Sixty-six days ago, Luka Doncic 's career changed forever.
Following his tenure of six and a half years with the Dallas Mavericks In 2019, after claiming Rookie of the Year honors, being selected for five All-NBA teams, and guiding the team to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011, something unimaginable occurred.
On February 2 at midnight, Doncic was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a major agreement for Anthony Davis , Max Christie And drafting rights for a 2029 Lakers first-rounder were included. This deal was so stunning that it left many athletes across the league astonished. thought it was counterfeit on social media .
He ultimately returned to the American Airlines Center to play against his previous team on Wednesday. Dončić was outstanding, scoring 45 points along with grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists. 112-97 The Lakers emerge victorious. According to Diwida Research, his 45 points rank as the third highest score by a player in their initial away game against their previous team in NBA history.
These are the scenes and noises from the Lakers guard's comeback game in Dallas.
The sports community lauds Doncic's play.
The former Los Angeles Lakers player Pau Gasol showed his backing for Doncic following his impressive performance. Philadelphia 76ers guard Quentin Grimes was traded In February, following the Doncic trade, the Mavericks included this player. He took care to acknowledge his ex-teammate publicly.
Supporters demonstrate affection as Doncic leaves the court
Following an impressive showing in his comeback, Doncic got a standing ovation when he was substituted out with 1 minute and 34 seconds remaining in the contest.
The homage paid to Dallas elicits an emotional and joyous reaction.
Doncic said he'd expect a lot of emotions Playing against his old team on the road for the first time, when Dallas honored the 26-year-old, Doncic dabbed at his eyes during his introduction by the public address announcer.
Joining a new team but keeping the same pre-game ritual.
Dončić maintained his usual pre-game ritual — after he sank a half-court shot, the fans cheered him, similar to how the Lakers' coaches did push-ups.
Luka was greeted with applause as he entered the arena.
Supporters started applauding the Lakers' star as he acknowledged the employees and the Mavericks guard. Klay Thompson .
Are you a Mavs supporter or a Luka enthusiast?
One supporter decided to take action personally, utilizing duct tape and a marker to humorously transform Luka Doncic's Mavericks jersey into a Lakers one.
Luka makes his way to the American Airlines Center
Wearing an all-black outfit upon his arrival, Doncic walked past a showcase that displayed pictures of the three previous Mavericks players involved in the major trade -- which included him, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris -- accompanied by the caption: "Thank you for the memories."
Mavericks pack the arena with shirts for spectators
On each seat in the American Airlines Center is a white T-shirt with the text "Hvala za vse," which is Slovenian for "thank you for everything" -- a special message from the franchise to Doncic.
