Most of the time in the modern NBA, when a star returns to his previous arena, he faces a hostile crowd because he chose to leave. That wasn’t the case for Luka Dončić. By all accounts, the five-time All-NBA point guard planned to sign a super max extension with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason. But the Mavericks ultimately were not comfortable making such a commitment, so they controversially traded Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers.
On Wednesday, Dončić returned to Dallas for the first time as a member of the Lakers, and the game did not disappoint. Dončić dominated the first quarter, but Dallas kept things competitive, even taking the lead in the fourth quarter despite trailing by double-digits in the second half. Ultimately, though, the Lakers proved too talented to be denied. Dončić scored 45 in the 112-97 win, while 13 fourth-quarter points from LeBron James were enough to seal deal.
The Lakers are now one win away from the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. The Mavericks, meanwhile, got a glimpse of what they’re missing out on with their homegrown star now in purple and gold. Here were some of the most memorable moments from Dončić’s return to Dallas.
Luka enters the building
Dončić arrived several hours before the game, and he needed that time for all of the reunions he surely planned. Cameras caught his arrival in the tunnel, and sure enough, he greeted several Mavericks staffers with hugs when he saw them. There were almost certainly far more that the cameras didn’t get to see.
A warm welcome from the fans
As excited as Dallas staffers were to welcome Dončić back, nothing could match the reception he got from the fans. The city of Dallas has practically been in open revolt since he was traded (don’t worry, we’ll get to that), so the fans in the building Wednesday were eager to welcome their former franchise player back to American Airlines Center. The cheers were consistent from the moment he first stepped onto the court until the moment the game ended.
A tearful tribute
Reporting before the game indicated that Dallas would indeed share a tribute video for Dončić, but nobody knew quite what to expect. Given all of the drama surrounding his exit, he could have reacted in any number of ways. What became clear the moment that the video started playing, though, was how emotional this return really was to Dončić. He spent the tribute fighting back tears. He looked heartbroken.
The trade was so confusing in the moment that many assumed Dallas dealt Dončić preemptively to prevent him from walking as a free agent in 2026. Everything that has come out since suggests that wasn’t the case. Dončić planned to re-sign in Dallas. He had just purchased a new home there. The Mavericks weren’t forced to trade Dončić. They chose to do so. Nobody outside of their front office wanted him to go, and he and the fans got to share a cathartic moment with this tribute.
The obligatory ‘fire Nico’ chants
You knew they were coming. There is not a less popular man in Dallas right now than Nico Harrison. The general manager of the Mavericks has been widely ridiculed for his decision to trade Dončić. Fans have protested outside of the arena. Season-ticket holders have demanded refunds. One attendee on Wednesday even tried to sneak a “Nico sucks, Luka we miss you” shirt onto the team’s karaoke cam, but the camera cut away from him before long. It’s possible that Harrison, right now, is the most widely disliked team executive among his own fans in the history of the NBA.
Chants of “fire Nico” broke out in the building on several occasions. They came early in the first quarter. They came scattered throughout the middle of the contest. They came at the end as well. This may have been Dončić’s night, but he’s no longer a part of the team. Harrison is, but if the fans have their way, he won’t be for very much longer.
Luka’s incredible finish
There were no shortage of on-court highlights from Dončić on Wednesday. You could pick any of his seven 3-pointers as the play of the night. He made several remarkable passes, often behind his own head to a wide-open shooter. But this finish was the showstopper. How on earth did Dončić get this up before his foot came down?
Luka exits to a standing ovation
Dončić arrived with cheers and he left with cheers. With 1:35 left on the clock, Dončić made a floater to go up 15 points. With the Lakers safely ahead by double digits, JJ Redick elected to pull Dončić from there. The crowd gave their former superstar one last ovation as he exited the game, receiving a big hug from LeBron James as he left. In an on-court interview with Lisa Salters after the game, Dončić shared how meaningful that reception was to him.
“Everybody saw me, saw the way I reacted to the video,” he said. “All these fans, I really appreciate it, man. All the teammates I had, everybody had my back. I’m just happy. I love these fans. I love this city. But it’s time to move on.”
For Dončić, moving on should be easier than it will be for the city he leaves behind. His Lakers have a real chance to compete for championships both now and in the future. Things look bleaker in Dallas. The Mavericks still need either a win or a Suns loss to clinch a Play-In berth. From there, their postseason is expected to end shortly. And with Kyrie Irving nursing a torn ACL, next season is looking grim as well. Harrison had better hope he can figure this out, because the fans made it clear on Wednesday that they haven’t forgiven him for letting Dončić get away.
