Camille Naredo

Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after he made a basket against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on December 15, 2024 in San Francisco, California. Ezra Shaw, Getty Images/AFP 

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 15: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after he made a basket against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on December 15, 2024 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.   Ezra Shaw/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by EZRA SHAW / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Article (news)

Dallas Mavericks v Golden State Warriors

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1738563264902AFP__20241216__2190153224__v1__HighRes__DallasMavericksVGoldenStateWarriors.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after he made a basket against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on December 15, 2024 in San Francisco, California. Ezra Shaw, Getty Images/AFP "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts after he made a basket against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on December 15, 2024 in San Francisco, California. <em>Ezra Shaw, Getty Images/AFP </em></span></span></span></div><p>LOS ANGELES -- Slovenian star Luka Doncic said Sunday he thought he&#x27;d spend his entire NBA career in Dallas, thanking fans in Texas for making it feel like home a day after the Mavericks abruptly traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.</p><p>&quot;Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level,&quot; Doncic wrote in a message to fans posted on X. &quot;I thought I&#x27;d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship.</p><p>&quot;The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the US for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home.&quot;</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1886186353882198297&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2025-02-03T06%3A13%3A01.643391%3A4c9c5735-91a8-4b03-ae29-84dcc272ff9b%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=7e815d2ab31a875948c19d9ce75554cc06d1c50b&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:753px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1886186353882198297"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Doncic, a EuroLeague MVP as a teenager, has established himself as a star since arriving in Dallas in 2018.</p><p>The 25-year-old, who led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season and was a finalist for Most Valuable Player honors, was expected to be the face of the Mavs for years to come.</p><p>Instead it was Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka who was looking forward to having &quot;a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar&quot; to lead the club now enjoying the final stages of superstar LeBron James&#x27;s career.</p><p>There was emotion as well from James, who has forged a strong bond with Davis in six seasons together that included a title together in 2020.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/basketball/2025/2/2/lakers-acquire-doncic-from-mavs-in-exchange-for-davis-report-1402">READ: Lakers acquire Doncic from Mavs in exchange for Davis</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/2025/2/2/mavs-boss-defends-doncic-davis-deal-as-trade-stuns-nba-0718">READ: Mavs boss defends Doncic-Davis deal as trade stuns NBA</a></div><p>&quot;Love you, my dog. Go crazy over there,&quot; James posted on Instagram over a photo of him and Davis embracing on court, a weeping emoji completing the post.</p><p>After posting his heartfelt message to Dallas, Doncic looked toward the future with a post showing him in a Lakers uniform.</p><p>&quot;Grateful for this amazing opportunity,&quot; he wrote. Basketball means everything to me, and no matter where I play the game I&#x27;ll do so with the same joy, passion and goal -- to win championships.&quot;</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Slovenian star Luka Doncic said Sunday he thought he'd spend his entire NBA career in Dallas, thanking fans in Texas for making it feel like home a day after the Mavericks abruptly traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.</p>

Slovenian star Luka Doncic said Sunday he thought he'd spend his entire NBA career in Dallas, thanking fans in Texas for making it feel like home a day after the Mavericks abruptly traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.

NBA: Doncic thanks 'special' Mavs fans after shock trade to Lakers

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NBA: Doncic thanks 'special' Mavs fans after shock trade to Lakers

Agence France-Presse

Published February 03, 2025 02:15 PM PHT

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