Luka Dončić will play in his first game against the Dallas Mavericks since they traded him on Feb. 24. This will be quite the marquee matchup between the two Western Conference contenders, knowing how everything went down when the Mavericks traded him.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick acknowledged that because of Dončić’s history with the Mavericks, it’d be a little peculiar to go against his former team not too long after the Lakers acquired him.
JJ Redick Says Luka Dončić Will Be ‘Fine’ vs. Mavericks, but ‘It’s Going To Be Weird’
While talking with The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, Redick said that Dončić will be OK with the Lakers’ upcoming matchup against the Mavericks, but he knows how odd it will be to face his former team.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Redick said. “Every day that he’s been with us it’s becoming a little more normal. I’ve been there. The first time you play your old team, particularly this close in time duration, it’s going to be weird. But he’ll be OK.”
To be fair, Dončić is around people he knew back when he was with Dallas. Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris came with him in the trade, and by joining the Lakers, Dončić reunited with his former Mavericks teammate Dorian Finney-Smith.
Redick says that having them around has made the transition easier for him. At the same time, making tough transitions is something Dončić has had to do since before he even came to the NBA.
“I think just having familiar faces around is great for him,” Redick said. “You never know though, because you’re talking about a guy who left home as a teenager to go to Madrid in a different country and learn how to speak Spanish on his own. Like, he’s a different dude. But I think for him, given the magnitude of the change of scenery, I think having us around to help support him, I think has been great.”
Any player as good as Dončić returning to the team he used to play for will draw plenty of attention. His teammate in Los Angeles, LeBron James, knows this, as his return to Cleveland, Ohio, after bolting for Miami was a very well-anticipated matchup. At the same time, James chose to leave while Dončić had no choice at all.
Dončić’s return to Dallas is going to have plenty of hype on Feb. 25 — it’s just a shame that Anthony Davis won’t be there to see some of his old friends.
