Luka Doncic, the star player recently traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, is directing all his attention toward his new team. After the Mavericks abruptly fired head coach Jason Kidd, Doncic was once again confronted with speculation about his future with the team. He was pushed on whether he could envision coming back as the organization moves through significant transitions. He responded succinctly, stating, “Right now, I’m just focused on the Lakers.”
And oh boy when Doncic decided to go to the Lakers did a lot of talk happen. He was the centerpiece of the blockbuster trade-deal with the Pelicans that brought in Anthony Davis, providing Max Christie and the 29′ first-rounder. Doncic has already cast a pretty big spell in the City of Angels. In his first seven of the season, he’s been averaging 37.1 points along with 9.4 rebounds and 9.1 assists.
When he met the Oklahoma City Thunder this past Wednesday, Doncic had a rocky performance. Meanwhile, the Lakers looked terrible, down as much as 31 points in the 33 minutes that Doncic played. He capped the season with a bad outing, scoring only 19 points. He had a brutal game shooting 7-for-20 from the field and an even worse 1-for-7 from three. He logged seven rebounds, seven assists and four turnovers.
Doncic had to deal with a tough loss and a huge halftime deficit, the biggest one he’s ever faced over his eight-year career. Even with this challenge, he isn’t deterred. He spoke to the issue afterwards, making it clear that he’s not bothered by the current gap between the two teams.
“The city of Dallas, the fans, the players, they’ll always have a special place in my heart,” Doncic expressed when reflecting on his time with the Mavericks. He could no longer deny his deep bond with Dallas and its dynamic community. So I doubled down, thinking that I would stay there for all of eternity, but life had other plans,” he mused. So, that will always be a really special place for me. I will always call it home.”
To further clarify his current mindset, Doncic added, “Just trying to move on and focus on what I’m doing here.” His dedication to the Lakers is evident as he aims to contribute positively to his new team while cherishing his memories from Dallas.
Doncic’s journey began when he was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2018 before being traded to the Mavericks on draft night. During his time leading Dallas, he amassed award after award. His decorated career has featured Rookie of the Year honors, five All-Star selections, five All-NBA team selections and as Western Conference Finals MVP in 2024.
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