LOS ANGELES — As Luka Dončić prepared to run out of the Los Angeles Lakers’ tunnel for his pregame warmup, he was serenaded with cheers and applause by multiple rows of fans wearing No. 77 Lakers and Slovenia jerseys lining the railings.
From the fanfare outside the arena, including a parked Laker-themed Koenigsegg Regera from Jordan Brand, to the chaos inside the arena, including media members filling the baseline and forcing the Lakers to upgrade to a bigger news conference room, the gravity of the emotionally charged moment was clear.
In an emotional reunion against his former franchise, teammates and coaches, Doncic finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists — his first triple-double as a Laker and fourth of the season — as the Lakers outlasted the Mavericks 107-99.
