Luka Doncic on Sunday sent an emotional message to Dallas Mavericks fans after being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In a message shared to social media, Doncic thanked Mavericks fans for their support, and confessed that he thought he would play his entire career with the franchise.
“Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level,” Doncic wrote. “I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship. The love and support you have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home. In good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed. Thank you not only for sharing my joy in our best moments, but also for lifting me up when I needed it most.

“As I start the next part of my basketball journey, I am leaving a city that will always feel like a home away from home. Dallas is a special place, and Mavs fans are special fans.”
#MFFL pic.twitter.com/qVMcV2uh5m
— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) February 2, 2025
Doncic did not get the chance to give Dallas fans a proper farewell, as he and everyone else involved was blindsided by it. The Lakers do travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks on Apr. 9.
Doncic had spent the first six-plus seasons of his career in Dallas, and by all accounts, this trade was initiated by the Mavericks and not him. Mavericks fans have already registered their anger over the deal, and the statement that Doncic had hoped to spend his career with the organization will not soften the blow at all.