Luka Doncic led the Lakers to a 107-99 victory over his former team the Dallas Mavericks, Tuesday, making history as just the third player to notch a triple-double against every NBA franchise. But his postgame demeanor wasn’t celebratory.
According to ESPN, Doncic admitted, still processing the whirlwind of playing against Dallas just 3½ weeks after being traded:
“It was just a lot of emotions and not much sleep,” he said [per ESPN]. “I can’t even explain [it]. It was a different game. … Sometimes I don’t know what I was doing.”
Luka Doncic in his first game against the Mavs as a Laker:
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 26, 2025
✨ 19 PTS
✨ 15 REB
✨ 12 AST pic.twitter.com/11RSp9Cupe
Doncic tallied 19 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 assists, joining LeBron James and Russell Westbrook in the exclusive all-30 triple-double club. But it was James who took over late, scoring 16 of his 27 points on 7-for-9 shooting in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
For Doncic, the night was less about dominance and more about crossing an emotional threshold—facing his old teammates, reuniting with Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd.
“It definitely will help me,” Doncic said. “It’s definitely going to help in the long [run].”
LeBron James understood the weight of the moment Luka Doncic feel
LeBron James, reflecting on Doncic’s transition, understood the weight of the moment.
“Obviously there’s a lot of emotion that goes in when you give so much to a franchise and you sacrifice for a franchise and you have that type of love and respect for a franchise,” James said. “He’s grown from being an 18-, 19-year-old kid to now a 25-year-old man with a family… It’s probably a lot of things that were going on in his head that probably didn’t even involve the game itself. And with that said, I thought he handled it tremendously.”
Luka Doncic 🤝 Kyrie Irving
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 26, 2025
Time flies 🥺 pic.twitter.com/48R63fZ6jl
Meanwhile, Mavs guard Kyrie Irving, who dropped a game-high 35 points, described the matchup as “awkward as s—” after going head-to-head with his former Finals teammate.
“At the same time, it was fun,” Irving said. “Seeing the crowd cheer for him and just get him going. … It was fun competing.”
However, Doncic called Irving his “hermano,” emphasizing their connection goes “way beyond basketball.” Their next meeting on Apr. 9 in Dallas will bring a different set of emotions, especially with the Mavericks hoping Anthony Davis—sent to Dallas in the trade—will be healthy enough to play.
