With unwavering smile, Luka Doncic embraces ‘Surreal Feeling’ of Los Angeles -debut

Los Angeles – The words “Thank you for your loyalty and support” were plastered on a gold background that framed Dirk Nowitzki’s muted smiles on each side of Crypto.com Arena Video Board.

Hollywood’s best writers should be aware of.

Or maybe even they would require a merciful break. Just consider the situation Monday night alone: ​​Dallas Mavericks lost to Sacramento Kings in overtime at the American Airlines Center in a game damaged by spectator sprayers and vitriol, while approx. 1,500 miles away, two of the team’s most beloved former players were welcome with open arms by an overly Los Angeles Laker’s home crowd.

Oh, by the way it happened all after LeBron James wore a Golden Lakers-Branded Luka Doncic T-shirt during his first name training. It was one of the thousands that Lakers laked over each of the Arena’s 20,000 seats.

It’s real, and if the fans who filled the Lakers gymnastics hall Monday night to catch basketball history should be polleted on the subject, they would argue that it is spectacular. Doncic debuted in Lakers in a 132-113 victory against Utah Jazz nine days after Mavericks sent him to Los Angeles in a fantastic blockbuster trade that has been rebelled by Dallas for more than a week.

“When I came to the arena, I saw all Luka jerseys,” Doncic said. “Surreally feeling.”

It’s a word for that. Doncic amounted to 14 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in 23 minutes limited action. He had to shake the rust from a month-long damaged dismissal and did not play at all in the fourth quarter. He only made 5 of his 14 shots. His number hardly matched his average, and his new fanbase hardly noticed. The audience cheered each time Doncic touched the ball and every time he was shown on the video table. They even welcome Nowitzki – who played a season with Doncic in Dallas and attended Monday’s game to support his former teammate and friend – when he was on display in the second quarter.

“I’ve always looked up to him,” Doncic said of Nowitzki, sitting next to his father Sasa. “Great mentor. For him to show up, fly all the way from Dallas, it was great and I really appreciate it.

About the topic Dallas: Yes, Doncic has seen the reaction from Maverick’s fans. It includes competitions outside the American Airlines Center on consecutive weekends, an outflow of anguish and frustration on social media and screens during home matches.

“Obviously, I saw the fans, of course I really appreciate it,” Doncic said. “I was there for almost seven years and it was great to experience these fans and their love for me. I will always appreciate it, but now I think we should focus on the next step, and the way Lakers -Fans received me here was great. “

Doncic entered the field for warm -ups shortly after. 18:30 pt with half a dozen TV cameras directly in his wake and a quarter-filled arena at the feet in applause. He ended his first name stretch with three half -court shots; He missed all three, laughed, fell on the floor and did 10 pushups. The early bird spectators hailed when the 25-year-old hammered the last few reps, jumped up and sprinted back into the tunnel for massive fanfare. He gave his thumb before disappearing into the basement of the arena.

He was serenated again when he took the court before Tipoff. The stage camera trained at Doncic in the last moments of the National Anthem and the audience’s sincerity grew in intensity as the final tunes of Mark Allen’s saxophone rendering played through the speakers. Doncic was then introduced last among Lakers’ five starters; James, who is usually introduced fifth, texted Doncic on Monday morning and offered him the position.

“He said,” Whatever you want, “Doncic said. “For him to send me a text message to it, it’s just amazing, it shows what kind of person he is. He let me get my moment and I appreciate it. “

Doncic specifically asked to be introduced last?

He smiled.

“I mean,” Doncic said with a laugh. “Today, if he could let me get this one.”

Doncic sometimes looked solemnly and shellshocked during his initial press conference last week. His often irregular smiles and joy returned Monday. Then also did the kind of moments that tend to bring out these traits. Doncics Antics-Somk, for example, Visceralal “Ooh’s” and “AH’s”, which once delivered background noise at the American Airlines Center.

It could have been a top-down directive: Laker’s head coach JJ Redick said before Monday’s game that he would have Doncic to “just be himself” and James said just as much the same (albeit with a few more explosives) In a pregame Huddle caught on video.

“It’s special,” Doncic said. “For (James) to say something similar, it’s great. It gave me confidence, that speech. Chills. “

Doncic played for the first time Monday since leaving Mavericks’ Christmas Day loss against Minnesota Timberwolves with a calf injury. Redick said Lakers’ medical staff considered it best to “lighten Luka back to play NBA action again” after the five-week dismissal.

“When he knows Luka, if he wants to admit this or not, there was probably a little bit of nerves,” said Redick, who played a season with Doncic in Dallas in 2020-21. “To play for Lakers for the first time, and the expectation that our fans had, this building had his teammates had, had our coaching staff. He gets it kind, he sees that. I thought he was handling it really well tonight. “

Yes, Doncic acknowledged he was nervous.

There is a first time for everything.

“I mean, when was the last time I was nervous before a game?” Doncic asked rhetorically. “But when I stepped on the field, it’s fine, just being out there again.”

This time as a varnish.

Surrealistic.

On Twitter/X: @MCFarland_shawn

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