Loyal Luka Doncic Fans Gifted Arena Suite Tickets by Lakers’ $160 Million Star

Luka Doncic organized a meet-and-greet, bought a suite, and provided gift bags to 22 Dallas Mavericks fans.

Loyal Luka Doncic Fans Gifted Arena Suite Tickets by Lakers’ $160 Million Star

Lakers' superstar Luka Doncic (Image via FirstSportz)

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Luka Doncic came back to Dallas for the first time this season. Drafted as the number three pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA draft, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Trae Young. Doncic spent nearly seven seasons with the Mavs and took them to the NBA Finals in 2024, before being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in the midst of last season.

It was the second meeting between the two clubs on Saturday as the Lakers recorded a 116-110 victory over the Mavs at the American Airlines Center. The win propelled the Lakers to fifth place in the Western Conference standings and improved their record to 27-17.

Meanwhile, the Mavs saw their four-match winning streak coming to an end. The loss dropped the Mavs to 19-27, leaving them in 12th place in the standings, two games behind the 10th-seeded Los Angeles Clippers.

Since Luka Doncic moved to the Lakers, he has been the focal point of the team. The Lakers front office have built their roster around their guard in the offseason as they prepare for life in the post-LeBron James era.

Despite Doncic’s impressive numbers offensively, he has received criticism for his poor defense, which is one of the main reasons why the Lakers are not viewed as championship contenders this season.

Doncic has always considered Dallas to be his home, and his sudden trade to the Lakers took him by surprise. Hence, the Slovenian’s return to Dallas was always going to be emotional for him and the fans as well. He surprised a group of 22 fans that he had never met before and surprised them with a suite, a pregame meet and greet, jerseys, and more.

The Lakers guard led the scorers as he scored a game-high 33 points to go along with eight rebounds and 11 assists. Doncic is a top-three contender for league MVP and is currently averaging 33.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists.

Luka Doncic expressed appreciation for Dallas Mavericks fans

It was just his second appearance in Dallas as an opponent since his trade. Things have not gone well for the Mavs after Doncic’s exit, as they missed the playoffs last season and are at risk of missing out once again this year, with Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis still out due to injury.

In his post-match press conference, the 26-year-old expressed his utmost appreciation for Dallas fans.

I was happy to be back here. I went to my house, saw my cars. But you know, obviously, it’s always going to be emotional. I really appreciate how they cheered for me when I was introduced. It’s always going to be a special place for me.

Even with Doncic donning the purple and gold, the Mavs fans attended in numbers despite the extreme weather and rooted for their favorite player.

LeBron James on Doncic’s return to Dallas

James has been vocal about this Lakers team being Doncic’s team, and everyone else around has to adjust and adapt their games to their point guard. James did not have a vintage game by his standards as he recorded 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Over the last few weeks, James has seen his workload go up in the absence of Austin Reaves, who is nearing his return.

James spoke about his teammate’s return to Dallas compared to last year in his post-match locker-room interview.

Luka Doncic and LeBron James led by example against Kings
Luka Doncic and LeBron James (Image via DraftKings/X)

The most important [thing] is just his comfort. Obviously when you get traded mid-season and him spending his first seven or eight years here, it was a shock to everybody. This year, he’s just more comfortable, understanding this is his team. So, we are all rallying around him. And he showed who he is tonight, obviously.

After a disappointing loss to their cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Lakers have gone 2-1 in their first three games of an eight-game road trip. They are scheduled to take on the Chicago Bulls on January 26.

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