Luka Dončić definitely gave the fans at Crypto.com Arena a show for his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was shockingly traded to the Lakers from the Mavs last week.
He was one of seven players to score in double digits as the Lakers took down the Utah Jazz 132-113 on Monday night in L.A.
The good news is that he got a super warm welcome from fans at the event.
Luka Dončić Gets Warm Welcome
The fans were all about Dončić, cheering for him all night long. Lots of them wore shirts with his last name and jersey number (No. 77), which were left at their seats before the game.
After the game, Dončić talked about how special the whole night was for him, especially the moments leading up to it. He got a text from LeBron James that morning about being introduced last in the starting lineup.
“It was really cool how they welcomed me,” Dončić shared. “It was awesome to see. I was a bit nervous beforehand; I can’t even remember the last time I felt that way. But once I was out on the court, it was just fun being back. It felt amazing.”
James gave his new teammate a boost, texting the 6-foot-6 guard earlier to say he was down to do whatever Doncic wanted. So when the Lakers’ announcer, Lawrence Tanter, announced the starters, he saved Doncic for last, which is usually James’ spot.
“He let me have my moment, and I really appreciate it,” Doncic said. “I mean, today, he gave me this one. But from now on, he’ll be the last.”
The atmosphere felt like a fresh start for the Lakers, with fans cheering for Dončić every time he got the ball and even chanting his name while he was on the bench. He got the crowd hyped several times with his playmaking skills.
Among those in the crowd were Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki, singer Adele, and actor Will Ferrell.
Dončić was in the starting lineup with LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxon Hayes, but he had a minutes limit as he recovers from a calf injury. He got his first assist less than a minute into the game with an alley-oop dunk from Jaxson Hayes and scored his first points on a three-pointer three minutes later – that was the only 3-pointer he hit all night.
His shooting wasn’t on point – he made just 35.7% of his shots and a low 14.3% from beyond the arc – but it was his first game back since injuring his calf during a Christmas Day game with the Mavericks.
The Lakers (32-19) traded for Dončić in a big deal that sent Anthony Davis to Dallas.
Injury Update for the Lakers
LeBron James went to the locker room with the athletic trainer after leaving the game in the fourth quarter, looking like he was in pain while holding his stomach.
He came back to the bench shortly after but didn’t return to the game since they had a solid lead. Hopefully he’s just find and will be back for the next game.
Luka Dončić’s first game as a Laker is in the books!
14 PTS | 5 REB | 4 AST | 6th straight Lakers W
Just getting started on his new era in Los Angeles 🌴 pic.twitter.com/hsW0Nxao4F
— NBA (@NBA) February 11, 2025