‘Thought I’d spend my career here’: Doncic pens goodbye message to Mavericks fans

Following his mind-blowing trade from the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic penned a heartfelt goodbye message to the city of Dallas and Mavs fans which he shared on his social media channels on Sunday.

Feb 3, 2025 - 04:37

‘Thought I’d spend my career here’: Doncic pens goodbye message to Mavericks fans

If you’re still trying to reconcile with the fact that Luka Doncic is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, well it seems as though the guard is as well.

Following his mind-blowing trade from the Dallas Mavericks, the superstar Slovenian penned a heartfelt goodbye message to the city of Dallas and Mavs fans, which he shared on his social media channels on Sunday.

“Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream on playing basketball at the highest level,” Doncic said. “I thought I’d spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship.

“The love and support you all 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.”

Doncic was enormously popular in Dallas — and everywhere else. His No. 77 Mavericks jersey ranked eighth among best-sellers through NBAStore.com over the first half of the season. On Sunday night, some Doncic items remained for sale on the Mavs’ shopping site.

His jersey sales will likely skyrocket again now, when the Lakers make his new ones available.

In a perplexing move, the Mavericks traded the 25-year-old to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for centre Anthony Davis, guard Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick on Saturday night.

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania immediately after the trade, Doncic was left “stunned,” with neither the guard nor many key figures from both the Lakers and Mavericks knowing about the deal until the news was ultimately broken.

Doncic had been with the Mavericks for his entire seven-year career following a draft-night trade with the Atlanta Hawks.

“In good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed,” Doncic said to fans in his goodbye message. “Thank you not only for sharing my joy in our best moments, but also for lifting me up when I needed it most.”

Doncic had built deep ties to Dallas off the floor, including through many charitable organizations. He had given large sums of money to various entities in North Texas and arranged for Jordan Brand sneakers — he represents the brand — to be given to frontline workers in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The appreciation was mutual. When Doncic led Slovenia to a berth into the Tokyo Olympics that were held in 2021, Dallas County Commissioners declared July 6 of that year as “Luka Doncic Day” in celebration of both his on- and off-court accomplishments.

In only 422 games, he ranks sixth on Dallas’ all-time scoring list, is second in 3-pointers in Mavs history behind only Dirk Nowitzki, is third on the club list in rebounds and fifth in assists.

“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,” he said.

Following his goodbye post, he addressed his new team, the Lakers, saying that he’s grateful for the opportunity to suit up for the squad.

“Basketball means everything to me, and no matter where I play the game, I’ll do so with the same joy, passion and goal — to win championships,” Doncic said.

On the other side of the deal, Lakers superstar LeBron James posted a farewell message to his longtime teammate Anthony Davis on his Instagram story, saying: “Love you my dog!! Go crazy over there!”

The teams are set to meet two more times this regular season, with the Mavericks visiting Los Angeles on Feb. 25 and the Lakers heading to Dallas on April 9.

— With files from the Associated Press