3 Best Moments of Luka Doncic’s Lakers Debut.<\/p>\n
So far, so great.<\/p>\n
Though I don’t have solid statistics to confirm it, I suspect dermatology appointments in Los Angeles are on the rise. Lakers fans just can\u2019t believe it\u2019s real\u2014they still can\u2019t stop pinching themselves to confirm that Luka Doncic was really traded to their team.<\/p>\n
Doncic made his highly anticipated debut in a Lakers uniform on Monday night, and the timing was perfect. The Lakers were facing the struggling Utah Jazz, who are likely headed for the lottery. L.A. was up by 25 points at halftime and cruised to a comfortable win in the second half, allowing Doncic to play just 24 minutes in his first game back after a calf injury on Christmas.<\/p>\n
As with any big event, the stars came out to Crypto.com Arena to welcome Doncic, including Adele, Floyd Mayweather, Rams receiver Puka Nacua, and Will Ferrell, who looked great in an unforgettable hat.<\/p>\n
Doncic admitted to feeling nervous for the first time in ages but shared, \u201cOnce I stepped on the court, it was fun. Just being out there again felt amazing.\u201d He didn\u2019t post his usual stats\u2014finishing with 14 points on 5-14 shooting, plus five rebounds and four assists\u2014but that was okay.<\/p>\n
This was just the start of what fans hope will be many games with Doncic in a Lakers uniform. Here are the three best highlights from his debut.<\/p>\n
Dirk Nowitzki Came to Show His Support<\/p>\n
The Mavericks have completely lost the trust of their fanbase, not just by trading Luka, but also through their constant undermining of him since the trade. Whether there were issues behind the scenes or not, Doncic has always seemed like the kind of player any franchise would want: competitive, fun-loving, and team-first. But instead of supporting him, Dallas has criticized him, with Mavericks GM Nico Harrison even questioning Luka\u2019s fitness, bizarrely mentioning Shaquille O’Neal as a model of fitness despite Shaq\u2019s own reputation of getting by on natural talent.<\/p>\n
Mavs fans have been protesting ever since the trade, with some even bringing a coffin to the arena to symbolize the death of the franchise. Signs saying “Fire Nico” have gotten fans ejected, and one even got kicked out for mouthing the words on the Jumbotron. Despite some of the tension around Mavericks management, Dirk Nowitzki made a point of supporting Doncic by showing up to watch his debut in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
Nowitzki, who has been close with Doncic since he entered the league, posted on X, “I will always be a Mav for life, but had to come support my guy 77 @lukadoncic in the first game of his new chapter!” Doncic responded by making one of Dirk’s signature fadeaway shots, a fitting tribute.<\/p>\n
Even if Harrison\u2019s campaign against Doncic didn\u2019t sway anyone, Nowitzki\u2019s support clearly signals that Luka was not the problem in Dallas, putting to rest any lingering doubts the Lakers might have had about him.<\/p>\n
Luka’s Joy Returned Quickly After the Trade<\/p>\n
While NBA fans have watched other superstars, like Jimmy Butler, force their way out of teams, Luka\u2019s debut had a much different feel. Butler spoke about how he had lost his \u201cbasketball joy\u201d in Miami, but Doncic\u2019s return to the court was full of smiles, signaling that he had regained that joy.<\/p>\n
There had been some concern among Lakers fans after Doncic\u2019s introductory press conference, where he seemed somewhat down and focused on his time in Dallas. However, it became clear that he was still adjusting to the shock of being traded away from the only NBA team he had ever known. Like all superstars, Doncic is human, and this was a big change in his life. But once he hit the floor in L.A., it was clear that his love for the game was fully intact.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
3 Best Moments of Luka Doncic’s Lakers Debut. So far, so great. Though I don’t have solid statistics to confirm it, I suspect dermatology appointments in Los Angeles are on the rise. Lakers fans just can\u2019t believe it\u2019s real\u2014they still can\u2019t stop pinching themselves to confirm that Luka Doncic was really traded to their team. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25280,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2586],"tags":[488],"class_list":["post-25279","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lakers","tag-luka-doncic"],"yoast_head":"\n