Watch: Dallas Mavericks tribute video brings Luka Doncic to tears

The NBA world was shocked on February 2, 2025. The Dallas Mavericks did the unthinkable and traded their star, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers.

This paired Doncic with LeBron James, which looked to be a match made in heaven. Despite the move to such a historical franchise, Doncic wasn’t too thrilled about leaving Dallas… he loved being a Maverick.

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Tonight marked the return of Doncic to Dallas. This was already going to be an emotional game for Doncic, but it became even heavier when the Mavericks played a tribute video for their former franchise star.

ALL THE FEELS FOR LUKA'S RETURN TO DALLAS ❤️

The Mavs honored Luka with a tribute video before he took the court with the Lakers ???? pic.twitter.com/462QhwjDRC

— ESPN (@espn) April 9, 2025

The tribute video brought Doncic to tears, as it showed the love and dedication he had for the franchise. In the game, Doncic went off for 45 points, helping his Lakers win 112-97.

With his return to Dallas behind him, Doncic can focus solely on the road ahead. He’s hoping that road leads to bringing an NBA title to Los Angeles.

About the Author Published Apr 9, 2025

TITAN FREY

Titan Frey is a dedicated father to three wonderful children, whom he takes immense pride in. His passions include reading, writing, basketball, both playing and watching, and playing chess. Titan spent five years working as a journalist for the basketball website fadeawayworld.net, where he served as editor-in-chief for four and a half years. One of his most notable achievements was interviewing Chuck Cooper III, the son of Chuck Cooper, the first African American ever drafted by an NBA team, and writing a biography that has been praised as the most definitive article about Cooper’s legacy. Titan is the author of more than ten novels and the screenwriter of three produced short films. His newest young adult novel, Echoes of the Hardwood: Braxton Foxworthy’s Time‑Travelling Book Report, blends basketball history with heartfelt storytelling and is now available. Order here: https://a.co/d/bo7BYz1