NBA: Luka Doncic Admits Nervousness, Calls Lakers Debut 'Amazing'

Luka Doncic‘s debut with the Lakers has come and gone, and the NBA All-Star said he was grateful for the reception. Luka Doncic, Lakers, NBA

Doncic helped LA secure a 132-113 home win over the Utah Jazz, recording 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting in 24 minutes. It marked his first game since suffering a left calf strain on Christmas Day — and the first since the mind-boggling trade that brought him to Los Angeles from Dallas.

“The way they received me, everybody, it was amazing to see,” Doncic said, via Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “I was a little bit nervous before. I don’t remember the last time I was nervous before the game. But once I stepped on the court, it was fun. And just being out there again felt amazing.”

The Lakers made sure Doncic felt comfortable in his debut, giving every fan a Doncic t-shirt jersey, playing Serbian music during warmups, and introducing him last, in a spot typically reserved for LeBron James.

In a pregame huddle, James told Doncic, “Luka, be your f—ing self. Don’t fit in, fit the f— out. Be yourself.”

Doncic, visibly moved, said, “It was just a lot of support for me. You could see when I came to the arena, I saw all the Luka jerseys. It was just a surreal feeling.”

The Lakers’ win, their sixth straight, lifted them to fourth place in the Western Conference standings.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks, who traded Doncic to Los Angeles, suffered a 15th loss in 23 games and now hold just a one-game lead for the play-in spot. Multiple Mavericks fans were ejected during a loss to Sacramento after expressing frustration over the trade.

Doncic reflected on the reaction in Dallas: “I really appreciate it. I’ve been there seven years — almost seven years — and it was amazing to experience those fans… But now I think we should focus on the next step.”