On Wednesday, April 9, the Los Angeles Lakers played the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas, the former home of current Lakers star Luka Dončić. The sports world, including New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, reacted to the emotional moment.
In the original post on X, SportsCenter shared a clip of Dončić reacting to the Mavericks’ tribute video for him. He was crying, and the caption read, “What Dallas means to Luka,” with a heart emoji. 77 reacts to the Mavs’ tribute video for him ahead of his Dallas debut with the Lakers.”
Russell Wilson’s Reaction to Luka Dončić’s Return to Dallas
Wilson offered a short but meaningful response to Dončić’s return to Dallas.
“This was cool to see… Luka deserves this!” the former Super Bowl-winning quarterback said, tagging Dončić and the NBA’s X accounts.
Against his old team, Dončić played 38 minutes. He scored 45 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and added six assists in the Lakers’ 112-97 win.
Dončić was originally drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA Draft but was traded to the Mavericks for the draft rights to Trae Young — who also provided a reaction to the situation — and a protected future first-round pick in 2019.
After a few years with Real Madrid (2015 to 2018), Dončić jumped to the NBA to join the Mavericks. He played for Dallas from 2018 until being traded to Los Angeles in a three-team deal that also included the Utah Jazz this past February.
Here’s what each team received, along with some cash and trade exceptions going to the Lakers and Mavericks.
- Mavericks: Max Christie, Anthony Davis, 2029 1st-round draft pick, 2025 2nd-round draft pick
- Lakers: Dončić, Maxi Kleber, Markieff Morris
- Jazz: Jalen Hood-Schifino and a 2025 2nd-round draft pick
Dončić played in 422 games for the Mavericks and led them to the NBA Finals last season. Needless to say, he did a lot for the city of Dallas, which was the only place he called home in the NBA for almost seven years.
After the game, Dončić said, “I don’t know how I did it. Because when I was watching that video, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m playing this game.'”
This season, Dončić has played 27 games with the Lakers, averaging 27.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game.
Robert Griffin III Also Reacts to Dončić’s Return
In addition to Wilson, another (now former) NFL player chimed in regarding Dončić’s return: Robert Griffin III, Washington’s former No. 2 overall NFL Draft pick in 2012.
“Luka Dončić is every Dallas Mavericks’ Fan right now. He loves Dallas and Dallas loves him back,” Griffin wrote.