The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday for the first time since the blockbuster trade that saw Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis change teams.
Emotions were understandably high for the matchup as both players meant so much to their former organizations over the years. Davis was a four-time All-Star with the Lakers and helped the team win the 2020 NBA Finals, while Doncic had established himself as the face of the franchise for the Mavericks.
Davis didn’t suit up in the contest due to a left adductor strain, but Doncic had the opportunity to face his former Mavericks teammates for the first time as a member of the Lakers.
Mavericks part-owner Mark Cuban sat courtside at Crypto.com Arena for the game and admitted that he didn’t like rooting against Doncic, who told him to be quiet at one point, via Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com:
Former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who sat courtside in a pair of Luka 1 shoes to Tuesday’s game, took in the absurdity of the moment.
Each time Dončić touched the ball, Cuban made a show of booing him. At one point, Dončić turned to Cuban, smiled and said, “Shut up, Mark.”
But when asked by ESPN’s Tim MacMahon what it was like to root against Dončić, Cuban said, “I hated it.”
Every member of the Mavericks organization who still has a strong relationship with Doncic likely had conflicting feelings watching the superstar face the franchise for the first time in a Lakers uniform.
Kyrie Irving, who teamed up with Doncic for parts of three seasons in Dallas, admitted it was “awkward” playing against his former teammate.
Doncic, who recorded a triple-double against the Mavericks, also said after the game that it was weird facing his old team.
While Doncic still has many fans in Dallas, there are a few members of the organization whose relationship with the 25-year-old turned sour. Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said he has not spoken to Doncic since the trade went down.
LeBron James: Lakers wanted to beat Mavericks for Luka Doncic
LeBron James revealed that the Lakers had extra motivation to beat the Mavericks for Luka Doncic. “Obviously we understood as his teammates that we wanted to try to get this win for him,” James said after the Lakers’ 107-99 win.
“Obviously we know what transpired not too long ago, so as his teammates we wanted to just try to back him in any way, shape or form. On the court, off the court, whatever. I’m happy that along with my teammates, I was able to make a couple plays down the stretch to get him this win.
“He probably won’t say it, but I think it means something to him, for sure, any time you face your former team and he spent seven years with them I believe, so it’s tough.”
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