Lakers helped Luka Doncic get the closure he needed from Mavericks exit

It cannot be stated enough how much Luka Doncic needed a night like what he got on Wednesday against his old team, the Dallas Mavericks. Hollywood scriptwriters could not have envisioned a more perfect story.

Doncic went into a building filled with fans that, clearly, still loved him, and the five-time All-NBA guard lit things up in his return to the Big D. It was a spectacle to watch.

Before the game, Doncic had talked about how unsure the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was as to whether the night would help offer him any type of closure. After the game was over, it was clear that it did.

Doncic and Lakers open up about emotional evening

Following the 112-97 victory for the Lakers, Doncic dropped the most eye-opening comments of the night in his postgame interview with Lisa Salters.

The Lakers superstar commented, "Everybody saw me, the way I reacted to the video. All these fans, I really appreciate it man. ... I love these fans. I love this city, but it's time to move on."

That right there sounded like a man who finally received the closure that was needed. The Lakers' role in this equation was important too. Doncic commented how supportive his teammates were in the moment. Luka's coaches and teammates certainly made it clear how much they wanted to be there for Doncic at the media availability following the game.

LeBron James said, "Super dope, super happy to be a part of that moment. Obviously you saw the emotions on Luka's face. ... That was an unbelievable moment, something that I probably will never forget."

Mike Trudell shared LeBron's key focus for the game: “Our only concern was to support him.”

James played a big role in helping ensure that Doncic would leave victorious in his first game back. The 40-year-old scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to give the Lakers some much-needed separation. A 29-21 advantage in the fourth, favoring Los Angeles, was a big part of the win.

JJ Redick was someone whose comments suggested he was heavily-invested in this game. The Lakers head coach certainly played it cool during the game. After the night was over, and the win was in the bag, Redick opened up.

The former NBA sharpshooter joked, "I thought he was gonna get 50, disappointed."

Redick did get serious at the press conference too, ensuring his superstar knew how much respect and admiration he had for what Doncic just did.

The rookie coach said, "The moment with the tribute video and him sitting by himself and getting to actually live that...and allowing himself to be vulnerable...was a beautiful moment. ... To have the emotional resolve to then go put on that type of performance, it's superhuman."

It was clear from Doncic's own comments that the generational superstar knew just how much everyone on the Lakers were there for him.

"Everyone had my back from coaches to players. We're trying to build something special here," Doncic told Lakers Daily.

In the last part of that statement is where the encouragement can be found moving forward. Doncic is ready to turn his new environment into one capable of exceeding that of his old one. Between Luka's comments about moving on and the undeniable support received from his new organization, Los Angeles should feel like Doncic's home now, if it that was not already the case.

With this crucial moment of the 2024-25 NBA season having passed for the Lakers, the focus can now confidently turn towards this year's postseason run. Los Angeles locked up a spot in the top six of the conference with the win last night, meaning they will avoid the dreaded Play-In Tournament. One more win will clinch the third seed and potentially open the door for a special conclusion to the campaign.