The Dallas Mavericks are showing their appreciation for Luka Dončić in his return to the American Airlines Center on Wednesday. After starring with the franchise for six-and-a-half seasons, Dončić was shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers in a shocking February trade.
The Mavericks are hoping to erase any bad blood from that trade by paying tribute to Dončić before he took the court Wednesday. The team put together a pregame video of Dončić’s seven years in Dallas, including highlights and off-court moments from his time there.
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Dončić was visibly emotional during the tribute, wiping away tears before being announced as part of the Lakers’ starting lineup.
Prior to the contest, the team laid out shirts featuring the Slovenian phrase “Hvala za vse” on each seat in the arena. The phrase roughly translates to “thank you so much” or “thank you for everything.”
The franchise should be thankful for Dončić’s contributions. After being acquired by the Mavericks during the 2018 NBA Draft, Dončić excelled immediately, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award in his first season.
He got even better from there. Over the next five seasons, Dončić made the All-Star team and was named first-team All-NBA each year. He posted three top-five MVP finishes over that period, and never finished lower than eighth in the voting.
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The Mavericks made four playoff appearances with Dončić, getting all the way to the NBA Finals last season. Despite Dončić averaging 29.2 points per game in the Finals, the team fell to the Boston Celtics in five games.
Dončić was once again having a typically good season but was out with a calf injury when he was traded. The deal sparked outrage among Mavericks fans, who showed up in force to protest the move. Shortly after the trade, Dončić thanked the fans for their support.
Given those reactions, it’s not a surprise that Dončić received a raucous ovation when he took the court Wednesday. While Dončić will likely show appreciation to the fans, that probably won’t stop him from showing out against the franchise that shipped him away.
