Luka Doncic is back in Dallas for the first time this season and showed love to some fans for supporting him. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported on the wonderful gestures made by Doncic during the first quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers‘ clash with the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Saturday.
“Luka surprised a group of fans by buying a suite for them,” MacMahon said. “22 fans, people that he had never met before, but he was especially touched by their support online in the wake of the trade. He had his business manager reach out to them, invite them to the game, a pregame meet-and-greet. One fan was so touched by that, the man broke down in tears.
“They show up to the suite, they all got gift bags,” MacMahon continued. “Luka 5s, Lakers Luka jerseys, and some Luka gear.”
Dallas will always be special to Luka 🥹
Almost a year after the trade to LA, Luka surprised 22 fans who supported him on social media with a suite for Lakers–Mavs, a pregame meet & greet, and gift bags with Luka Lakers jerseys and his signature shoe. pic.twitter.com/hdznSXx5bv
— ESPN (@espn) January 25, 2026
That is incredible. The bond between Doncic and Mavericks fans will never be broken. He never wanted to leave, and they never wanted to see him go.
Doncic had shared a heartfelt message to Mavericks fans after he was traded away to the Lakers in February 2025. The Slovenian thanked them for all the love and support they had shown over the years and made it clear that he believed he was going to spend his entire career there.
Doncic badly wanted to give the Mavericks fans an NBA championship to celebrate, but it wasn’t to be. He was shipped out of town for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick.
As if losing Doncic wasn’t bad enough, Mavericks fans have also seen Davis miss a lot of time with injuries since he arrived. He has played 29 games for the team in just under a year and is currently sidelined with a hand injury as well.
This is the second game that Doncic has played in Dallas since the trade, and he broke down in tears before the first one when a tribute video was played. It’s still mind-boggling that a team traded away a generational talent who had absolutely no desire to leave. Mavericks fans were protesting in the aftermath of the trade, and they’re unlikely to ever get over it.
Doncic had 45 points in his first game back in Dallas, but this second one hasn’t been quite as special. The 26-year-old had 17 points at halftime to give the Lakers a 65-52 lead and was getting MVP chants. They blew that advantage in the third quarter, though, and entered the fourth down 87-79. It is going to take some Luka magic for the Lakers to get the win here.
