When the Los Angeles Lakers surprisingly traded for Luka Doncic, there was speculation on whether he wanted to remain in L.A. for the long term. Inherently, general manager Rob Pelinka took a risk because the Slovenian guard was due for a new contract in two years.
It was a tough adjustment for Doncic because he loved playing for the Dallas Mavericks and he truly wanted to bring a championship to the city. However, the NBA is a cruel business at times and he had to uproot his entire life midseason, which is tough for any player.
The only way Doncic would feel at home is if the Lakers front office and fanbase made it feel like one. When asked about the moment he felt like a Laker, the 26-year-old said his first home game due to the electric environment and support he received, via the Wall Street Journal:
“It was probably my first game, when I started. The way they welcomed me, all the shirts in the chairs and that was the moment I felt like a Laker.”
When he was dealt to L.A., Doncic was dealing with a calf injury since Christmas and anticipation was mounting for him to make his debut. For the Lakers to get a star of his caliber to help win now and lead the team into the future is a rarity.
However, that feeling he felt during his first game at Crypto.com Arena will not be the last. Lakers fans will continue to cheer him on so he can feel comfortable playing out the rest of his career in L.A.
This season is an exciting one because it is Doncic’s first full season as a Laker and no better way to begin that journey at home on Opening Night. In only a small sample size of 28 games last year, Doncic left fans with absurd highlights already, so more greatness awaits him as a member of the purple and gold.
Rob Pelinka & Lakers were happy to support Luka Doncic playing in EuroBasket
The Lakers are a first-class organization that takes care of their stars. Luka Doncic is the next one to experience this treatment.
He notably put in a ton of work to improve his body and conditioning so the Lakers can hit the ground running this season. But an opportunity to represent his country presented itself in FIBA EuroBasket, which can admittedly be scary for an orgnaization considering an injury can happen at anytime. But Rob Pelinka and the Lakers organization were happy to support Doncic playing for Slovenia, even traveling to Poland to be there in person.
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