Crying Luka Doncic gets pep talk in Lakers’ locker room, hug from LeBron | Watch

Apr 10, 2025 07:22 AM IST

Luka Doncic was left in tears on his return to the American Airlines Center in Dallas

Luka Doncic was left in tears on his return to the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The Mavericks played a tribute video for the Slovenian ahead of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Doncic joined the Lakers earlier this year after seven successful seasons with Dallas. His return didn’t just end there. It was marked by a warm hug from LeBron James and a locker room pep talk.

Luka Doncic was emotional after the Dallas Mavericks played a tribute video for him(X)

Doncic, a five-time All-Star, was traded to Los Angeles on February 2. Anthony Davis was transferred to the Mavericks.

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On Wednesday, Dallas played a tribute video for Doncic. It showcased his six-plus seasons in navy blue and white. He was drafted by the Mavericks in 2018 and won the Rookie of the Year in 2019. The Slovenian ended up leading the team to the NBA Finals last season. The Mavericks also gave every fan a T-shirt that reads ‘thank you so much’ in Slovenian.

While Luka and Dallas fans were caught up in nostalgia, a message about the Lakers’ locker room chat with the All-Star was revealed.

“Yeah, Billy. Look. I asked you what the approach here with your name considering everything, all of the emotion in the building that you just saw in that video. And he said, well, it’s pretty simple. We’ve got your back. That’s what the Lakers wanna show Luka. He is a Laker now. He’s wearing. They have his back, of course, full support, and they’re gonna show him that on this board and what’s certainly an emotional evening for him.”

Meanwhile, after the video was played, LeBron James was seen warmly hugging his new teammate. Doncic also shared an embrace with Markieff Morris, who was also traded from Dallas to Los Angeles.

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