Just a few weeks after being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, NBA superstar Luka Doncic took on his former team the Dallas Mavericks for the first time on Tuesday night.
Before the game, Doncic had something in store for the previously-suffering Lakers fans – a bit of a “thank you” for their embrace of him as a new player to the team. And it’s pretty awesome.
Doncic Gives Lakers Fans Free Parking
Anyone who’s been to LA knows about the driving culture there – and the frustrations that come with it.
Doncic recently learned that, and used that knowledge to give fans an awesome gift for the Mavs game.
To wit: Doncic provided Lakers fans with free parking at Crypto.com Arena for his first game against his former team since being traded. A purple and white sign was put up in the arena’s parking lot with the words “Free parking” and “Courtesy Of Luka” written on it. The sign also had the Jumpman logo next to the wording.
“Just got free parking right across the arena lol shoutout Luka!!! Incredible stuff,” one fan wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Related: Colin Cowherd Discusses Luka Doncic Trade, Promptly Gets Sick On Air
Doncic Wins Big For Lakers
Doncic ended up delivering for Lakers fans in a big way on the court, too. Indeed, he registered his first triple-double as a Laker by tallying 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. The Lakers ultimately won the game by a score of 107-99.
Doncic made it clear that he is still not over the trade by glaring at the Mavericks bench throughout the game.
“We just gotta embrace it,” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said afterwards. “It’s just a little weird, it just naturally is. I’ve never in my life playing basketball went to another team and played them the first time and said, ‘Oh, this is just another team.’ No, it isn’t. It’s healthy just to acknowledge it and embrace it. And then you play the game and never have to do that again.”
“I thought he handled it well,” Redick added of Doncic. “Not a great shooting night, but he made a lot of plays. I just thought he was clearly worked up to start the game. That’s the expected but I thought he settled in.”
Related: Luka Doncic Tries Celebrating NBA Finals Appearance, Has Beer Swiped By Management
‘It Was So Weird’
Doncic admitted after the game that playing the Mavericks was a “weird” experience for him.
“It was so weird in the moment,” Doncic said. “I probably don’t know what I was doing, and I’m glad we got the win.”
“The closure is going to take awhile, I think,” he later added of the trade. “I don’t know, it’s just not ideal. Like I said, I’m glad this game is over. There was a lot of emotions. It will go, little by little. Every day is better.”
The Athletic reported that Doncic’s “taste for beer and hookah” partly led to the Mavericks deciding to trade him. According to this report, “the people who witnessed Doncic’s last days in Dallas do not paint a flattering portrait of the 25-year-old’s professionalism.”
Nevertheless, it appears that none of this was an issue for Doncic when it came to defeating his former team on Tuesday. We can only imagine that the Mavericks are regretting making this trade now!
As this season continues, it will certainly be interesting to see how Doncic adjusts to life as a Laker. So far, it seems to be going as well as can be for him!
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