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The entire sports world was shocked by be the Groundhog Day trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis and pieces back to the Mavericks. Luka Doncic himself was shocked, as he was totally blindsided himself.
On Wednesday, he made his long-awaited return to Dallas as the Lakers took on the Mavericks in a crucial game just a few days before the end of the season. The Mavericks aired a tribute video during player introductions, and he got quite emotional.
Doncic was in his seventh season with the Mavericks and was one of the league’s best players from the jump. The Slovenian was NBA Rookie of the Year and then rallied off five straight All-NBA First-Team selections in the five years since his rookie year. He was considered by most to be the best guard in the world, and he was yet to turn 26 when the trade was made.
But, Dallas moved on due to concerns about his long-term health and a looming enormous contract extension, setting off a reaction that may have been never seen before in sports.
Luka Doncic clearly loved Dallas, and when the Mavericks played this tribute video, he could not contain his emotions.
Full Dallas Mavericks tribute to Luka Doncic while Luka is watching getting emotional pic.twitter.com/dNcrCQNOWb
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) April 9, 2025
Man, it’s clear that Luka loved his time in the city. That’s pretty heartbreaking to watch, to be honest.