Home is where the heart is.
In Luka Doncic’s first trip back to North Texas since the Dallas Mavericks sent the basketball world into an uproar and blindsided their franchise player by trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1, he was extremely emotional and could not hold back tears and then composed himself and was amazing, hitting backbreaking three-pointers and throwing neck-snapping passes to finish with 45 points on 16-28 from the field, eight rebounds and six assists while leading his new team to a 112-97 victory. For once Doncic operated with empathy and compassion in his heart. His performance and artistry against the Mavericks, in front of a heartbroken and devastated Dallas fan base that appreciated him more than ever, unfolded like an apology.
Instead of getting volatile with fans, like he had on Tuesday to earn an ejection in Oklahoma City, Doncic went quietly about his business and repaid repeated standing ovations with a golf clap of his own at night’s end. Here was Doncic, long defined by his brashness, showing mercy to an audience of innocent bystanders who just want him back in the fold and feel bamboozled and betrayed by the Mavericks’ front office. The jarring blockbuster was not Doncic’s idea, but he appeared sorry all the same.
“Talking about closure is sometimes hard,” Doncic said. “I spent a lot of time here, great moments. It’s getting more and more [toward closure]. I’ve got to focus on different things now.”
The American Airlines Center sellout crowd made sure to dress up for the most anticipated game of the season, wearing Doncic’s old No. 77 Mavericks jerseys in white, blue, green and black, his NBA all-star jersey in red, and, of course, his new Lakers jerseys in purple and gold. Die-hard fans sported vintage Real Madrid shirts and his Slovenian national team uniforms, and one devoted couple stitched together half-and-half jerseys with Mavericks blue in front and Lakers yellow in back.
There was another clear point of agreement among thousands of paying customers: Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison, who managed to trade Doncic to the Lakers for big man Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a first-round pick without the trade talks getting out beforehand, must pay for his unforgettable mistake.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen Lakers forward LeBron James stepped to the free throw line just a mere four seconds into the game, “Fire Nico!” chants rained down. They kept coming at a break-neck pace all night, especially during dead balls and free throw attempts, and four fans held up neon green signs bearing the two-word rallying cry during the second half. Doncic checked out with less than two minutes remaining, and the crowd seamlessly transitioned from appreciative cheering to its loudest “Fire Nico!” screams of the night.
“It was a little bit of both: happy and angry,” Doncic said of his feelings entering his Dallas return. “It was nice to see some familiar faces here. There were a lot of emotions. When I woke up, I was tired because I didn’t sleep much. It was an amazing experience, the way [the fans] accepted me and cheered for me. It was unbelievable.”
Prior to Doncic’s name being called during player introductions, the Mavericks aired a touching tribute video montage that included footage from the 2018 NBA draft, his playoff debut in the NBA bubble in 2020, his dagger three-pointer over Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in last year’s Western Conference finals, and other various highlights from his six and a half seasons in Dallas.
Doncic’s eyes filled with tears as the video played, and he wiped them away with a towel as he joined the Lakers on the court. He said later that he felt like “there was no way I was playing this game” because he was struggling to process the memories he had just watched.
“It was a beautiful moment,” Lakers Coach JJ Redick said. “[Doncic’s] ability to then go perform — the lights turn on, and he’s still teary-eyed as we walk onto the court for the jump ball. To have the emotional resolve to then put on that type of performance, it’s superhuman.”
Things have not gone well on the court for the Mavericks. Davis suffered an abductor strain in his February 8 debut for Dallas against the Houston Rockets, and star guard Kyrie Irving suffered a season-ending torn ACL on March 3. Harrison had reassured fans that the Mavericks planned to compete for championships during a “three-to-four-year window,” and his master plan had seemingly come unglued in about one month’s time. Dallas currently sits in the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference and will need to win two play-in tournament games to qualify for the playoffs.
The Lakers, meanwhile, have a much brighter future and have clinched a playoff spot and can finish as the West’s No. 3 seed if they win their final two regular season games. James and the rest of the Lakers gathered in a jubilant huddle at the end of Wednesday’s victory, jumping up and down and encouraging the Dallas crowd to chant Doncic’s name.
As the Lakers prepare for what they hope will be the first of many long playoff runs with Doncic, the Mavericks are still struggling to get out of their own way and offer fans any semblance of hope to hold on to for the future. Davis finished with a quiet 13 points and 11 rebounds along with six assists on Wednesday, and the 33-year-old Irving will miss a significant chunk of next season at minimum.
“This is a business,” Mavericks Coach Jason Kidd said Wednesday. “Trades happen. This won’t be the last trade. Some are comparing it to Babe Ruth, which is kind of cool.”
