Luka Dončić is back in Dallas for the first time since being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in February, and the emotions are flowing out of the superstar (and presumably Mavs fans everywhere) before the game even tips off.
Luka Dončić gets emotional watching pregame tribute video
Dallas gave out t-shirts to every fan in attendance and prepared a tribute video for Luka's introduction in his first game visiting Dallas as an opponent.
— Gonzalo Vázquez (@GVazquezNY) April 9, 2025
Yes, the tribute and t-shirts all feel a little weird — this is the franchise that traded Luka two months ago. He didn't leave in free agency or retire... they traded him!
Still, the people who work in the arena, the outreach team that decides to give out shirts, the video producers, and most importantly the fans... all had no say in trading the team's best player ever. So of course they'll be emotional — fans who have no dog in this fight are getting emotional right now. We're all human!
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A strange sight in Dallas during Luka's return
In the first few minutes of this game, the Mavs fans have been cheering Luka every time he touches the ball — understandably so, as they still have tons of love for their former superstar. This has created a pretty odd atmosphere; Lakers fans travel well in all 30 NBA stadiums, but this is different. This is Mavs fans showing the front office that they made a horrendous mistake, and a player they fell in love with is still that player, no matter what uniform he's wearing.
It took about four minutes for "Fire Nico" chants to break out, for the record.