Luka Doncic's tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers officially began on Monday night when the Slovenian superstar suited up in purple and gold for the very first time. It went pretty well, despite Doncic being on a minutes restriction. He had 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists in 24 minutes of play in his first game since Christmas Day, and the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 132–113. There was even a viral highlight with LeBron James within two quarters. All in all, as good of a debut as anyone could hope for.
Predictably, Doncic was a very popular man in his postgame press conference, and one of the many questions he was asked concerned the reaction of Mavericks fans. Supporters in Dallas were downright distraught by the blockbuster that sent Doncic to L.A. in exchange for Anthony Davis and they have made their unhappiness very clear over the last week. Doncic sees those fans and appreciates them.
"Yeah, I saw the fans," Doncic said. "Obviously I really appreciate it. I've been there seven years, almost seven years, and it was amazing to experience those fans and their love for me. I will always appreciate that. But now I think we should focus on the next and the way Lakers fans received me here was amazing."
“I saw the fans.. obviously I really appreciate it. There’s 7 years.. almost 7 years and it was amazing to experience those fans and their love for me. I will always appreciate that”
— m⁷⁷ (@miss77ela) February 11, 2025
Luka was asked about the reaction to mavs fans about the trade
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Mavs fans put on a big protest outside American Airlines Arena after the news of the trade broke that included a fake funeral for Doncic's time in uniform. The discord has carried over into the following week, and while Doncic was making his debut in Los Angeles, the Mavs kicked fans out of their game against the Sacramento Kings after they took shots at general manager Nico Harrison and got cussed out by owner Mark Cuban. Things are not going well in Dallas.
At least Doncic appreciates the outcry and what it reflects about the love the fan base has for him.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Luka Doncic Responds to Mavericks Fans' Angry Reaction to Blockbuster Trade.
