The Dallas Mavericks showed 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 hoped 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 almost seven years in Dallas, including highlights and off-court moments from his time with the franchise.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement
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 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.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Nancy ‘unconcerned’ at Celtic start – but Hart says slump ‘breaks my heart’
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy understood why his team were booed off following a 3-0 home loss to Roma but said he was not worried about the heavy defeat that left their hopes of staying in the Europa League hanging by a thread.Nancy became the first Celtic manager to lose his opening two games, with the Scottish champions in disarray in the opening 45 minutes, trailing by three goals going into the break as Evan Ferguson netted twice to add to an early own goal from Republic of Ireland team-mate Liam Scales. The supporters made their feelings clear at both half-time and full-time, having watched their team lose to Premiership leaders Hearts at home on Sunday. "I respect the fans - they are really important for us," he told TNT Sports. "They are key, they know that. We play for them, […]
Nancy ‘unconcerned’ at Celtic start – but Hart says slump ‘breaks my heart’
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy understood why his team were booed off following a 3-0 home loss to Roma but said he was not worried about the heavy defeat that left their hopes of staying in the Europa League hanging by a thread.Nancy became the first Celtic manager to lose his opening two games, with the Scottish champions in disarray in the opening 45 minutes, trailing by three goals going into the break as Evan Ferguson netted twice to add to an early own goal from Republic of Ireland team-mate Liam Scales. The supporters made their feelings clear at both half-time and full-time, having watched their team lose to Premiership leaders Hearts at home on Sunday. "I respect the fans - they are really important for us," he told TNT Sports. "They are key, they know that. We play for them, […]
Littler plays down push for Taylor’s record | ‘I don’t think anyone will!’
Luke Littler believes he may never beat Phil Taylor’s record of World Darts Championship titles, despite making a winning start to his title defence at the Alexandra Palace. The world No 1, looking to emulate Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson by winning back-to-back World Championships, posted seven maximums and fired a 101.54 average during a straight-sets win over Darius Labanauskas on the opening night. 'The Nuke' reached the final in both his first two World Darts Championship appearances, finishing runner-up to Luke Humphries on debut before claiming the Sid Waddell Trophy by beating Michael van Gerwen in last year's showpiece. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Two years on from Luke Littler's World Darts Championship debut, Sky Sports News explores the impact the new No 1 has had on the game in this new documentary […]
Papers: Salah urged to speak to Messi about MLS move
The top stories and transfer rumours from Friday's newspapers.Premier LeagueMLS commissioner Don Garber has urged Mohamed Salah to speak to Lionel Messi about life in the United States amid uncertainty surrounding the 33-year-old's future at Liverpool - Daily Mail Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sky Sports chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol explains how a move for Mohamed Salah to Saudi Arabia may come about, or could he even be tempted by a move to Europe or another club in the Premier League Manchester United have no interest in signing Sergio Ramos on a free transfer despite recent reports - ESPN Spreaker This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your […]
Papers: Salah urged to speak to Messi about MLS move
The top stories and transfer rumours from Friday's newspapers.Premier LeagueMLS commissioner Don Garber has urged Mohamed Salah to speak to Lionel Messi about life in the United States amid uncertainty surrounding the 33-year-old's future at Liverpool - Daily Mail Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sky Sports chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol explains how a move for Mohamed Salah to Saudi Arabia may come about, or could he even be tempted by a move to Europe or another club in the Premier League Manchester United have no interest in signing Sergio Ramos on a free transfer despite recent reports - ESPN Spreaker This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your […]
What’s Next: With Robert Suarez Off the Board to Braves, Closer Market Is Getting Thin
The Braves already brought back closer Raisel Iglesias this winter. Now, they’ll pair him with the reigning National League saves leader. Robert Suarez will be leaving San Diego, where he was an All-Star twice in four big-league seasons, for Atlanta after agreeing to a three-year, $45 million deal with a Braves team attempting to rebound from a fourth-place finish in 2025. Suarez led the NL with 40 saves last season and had a major league-leading 76 saves over the last two years with the Padres, though it sounds like he will serve in a setup role in front of Iglesias in 2026. Iglesias returned on a one-year deal, so it’s possible Suarez transitions to the closer role for the final two years of his deal. In a disaster 2025 season, the bullpen was among the litany of problems for the Braves. Their relievers […]
Related
Nancy ‘unconcerned’ at Celtic start – but Hart says slump ‘breaks my heart’
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy understood why his team were booed off following a 3-0 home loss to Roma but said he was not worried about the heavy defeat that left their hopes of staying in the Europa League hanging by a thread.Nancy became the first Celtic manager to lose his opening two games, with the Scottish champions in disarray in the opening 45 minutes, trailing by three goals going into the break as Evan Ferguson netted twice to add to an early own goal from Republic of Ireland team-mate Liam Scales. The supporters made their feelings clear at both half-time and full-time, having watched their team lose to Premiership leaders Hearts at home on Sunday. "I respect the fans - they are really important for us," he told TNT Sports. "They are key, they know that. We play for them, […]
Nancy ‘unconcerned’ at Celtic start – but Hart says slump ‘breaks my heart’
Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy understood why his team were booed off following a 3-0 home loss to Roma but said he was not worried about the heavy defeat that left their hopes of staying in the Europa League hanging by a thread.Nancy became the first Celtic manager to lose his opening two games, with the Scottish champions in disarray in the opening 45 minutes, trailing by three goals going into the break as Evan Ferguson netted twice to add to an early own goal from Republic of Ireland team-mate Liam Scales. The supporters made their feelings clear at both half-time and full-time, having watched their team lose to Premiership leaders Hearts at home on Sunday. "I respect the fans - they are really important for us," he told TNT Sports. "They are key, they know that. We play for them, […]
Papers: Salah urged to speak to Messi about MLS move
The top stories and transfer rumours from Friday's newspapers.Premier LeagueMLS commissioner Don Garber has urged Mohamed Salah to speak to Lionel Messi about life in the United States amid uncertainty surrounding the 33-year-old's future at Liverpool - Daily Mail Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sky Sports chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol explains how a move for Mohamed Salah to Saudi Arabia may come about, or could he even be tempted by a move to Europe or another club in the Premier League Manchester United have no interest in signing Sergio Ramos on a free transfer despite recent reports - ESPN Spreaker This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your […]
Papers: Salah urged to speak to Messi about MLS move
The top stories and transfer rumours from Friday's newspapers.Premier LeagueMLS commissioner Don Garber has urged Mohamed Salah to speak to Lionel Messi about life in the United States amid uncertainty surrounding the 33-year-old's future at Liverpool - Daily Mail Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sky Sports chief correspondent Kaveh Solhekol explains how a move for Mohamed Salah to Saudi Arabia may come about, or could he even be tempted by a move to Europe or another club in the Premier League Manchester United have no interest in signing Sergio Ramos on a free transfer despite recent reports - ESPN Spreaker This content is provided by Spreaker, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your […]
Littler plays down push for Taylor’s record | ‘I don’t think anyone will!’
Luke Littler believes he may never beat Phil Taylor’s record of World Darts Championship titles, despite making a winning start to his title defence at the Alexandra Palace. The world No 1, looking to emulate Taylor, Adrian Lewis and Gary Anderson by winning back-to-back World Championships, posted seven maximums and fired a 101.54 average during a straight-sets win over Darius Labanauskas on the opening night. 'The Nuke' reached the final in both his first two World Darts Championship appearances, finishing runner-up to Luke Humphries on debut before claiming the Sid Waddell Trophy by beating Michael van Gerwen in last year's showpiece. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Two years on from Luke Littler's World Darts Championship debut, Sky Sports News explores the impact the new No 1 has had on the game in this new documentary […]
What’s Next: With Robert Suarez Off the Board to Braves, Closer Market Is Getting Thin
The Braves already brought back closer Raisel Iglesias this winter. Now, they’ll pair him with the reigning National League saves leader. Robert Suarez will be leaving San Diego, where he was an All-Star twice in four big-league seasons, for Atlanta after agreeing to a three-year, $45 million deal with a Braves team attempting to rebound from a fourth-place finish in 2025. Suarez led the NL with 40 saves last season and had a major league-leading 76 saves over the last two years with the Padres, though it sounds like he will serve in a setup role in front of Iglesias in 2026. Iglesias returned on a one-year deal, so it’s possible Suarez transitions to the closer role for the final two years of his deal. In a disaster 2025 season, the bullpen was among the litany of problems for the Braves. Their relievers […]
Be the first to leave a comment