Luka Dončić wipes away tears when Mavericks play tribute video in his return to Dallas

Luka Dončić returned to Dallas Wednesday for the archetypal clip since the blockbuster commercialized that sent him to the Los Angeles Lakers, and it deed him hard.

Dončić was shockingly traded successful February, and Anthony Davis was 1 of the players the Mavericks acquired.

Ever since then, Mavs wide manager Nico Harrison has been nationalist force No. 1 successful Dallas. Fans person not forgiven him for trading a planetary superstar successful the premier of his career.

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Los Angeles Lakers defender Luka Doncic reacts portion watching a tribute video earlier a crippled against the Dallas Mavericks astatine American Airlines Center.  (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

That continued Wednesday with galore "Fire Nico" signs arsenic Dončić and the Lakers arrived successful Dallas.

The arena was filled with achromatic shirts that said "Thank you for everything" successful his autochthonal Slovenian.

Just earlier the game, the franchise honored him with a video tribute, and Dončić became emotional.

Harrison said helium made the commercialized to amended the team's defence caller disconnected an NBA Finals appearance. In Davis' Mavericks debut, helium was injured (he has since returned), and Kyrie Irving aboriginal tore an ACL.

Since joining the Lakers, Dončić has enactment up his accustomed numbers, averaging 27.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.6 assists, and the Lakers are a superior contender.

A instrumentality of Los Angeles Lakers defender Luka Dončić holds up a motion earlier a crippled betwixt the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks astatine American Airlines Center. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

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Aside from the defence though, Dončić would person been successful a declaration conflict with the Mavs. His $207 cardinal hold expires this year, and helium was owed for a supermax DEAL worthy implicit $340 million. Plus, helium could person opted retired of immoderate different deals with Dallas. So, Harrison wanted security.

"We truly consciousness similar we got up of what was going to beryllium a tumultuous summer, him being eligible for the supermax and besides a twelvemonth distant from him being capable to opt retired of immoderate contract," Harrison said soon aft the woody was done. "And truthful we truly felt similar we got retired successful beforehand of that. We cognize teams, they’ve had it retired there, teams person been loading up to effort to motion him erstwhile that comes available."

Entering Wednesday, the Lakers were 48-31, 3rd successful the Western Conference. It would beryllium their champion decorativeness since winning the NBA rubric successful 2020.

Los Angeles Lakers defender Luka Dončić reacts portion watching a tribute video earlier a crippled against the Dallas Mavericks astatine American Airlines Center (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)

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There are, however, 4 teams conscionable 1 crippled down them successful the standings, which could driblet them down to seventh and enactment them successful the play-in tournament.

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