Redick confirms Luka Doncic may have exorcised last remaining demon in Dallas

We all knew what was coming when the Los Angeles Lakers hit the road to take on the Mavericks in what was set to be Luka Doncic's first game back in Dallas since the trade. It was always going to be a highly emotional affair, but somehow Wednesday night seemed to outdo everyone's expectations.

The Mavericks' tribute video they created to honor Doncic set the tone for how the rest of the evening would go. With cameras trained on him in every direction, Luka's teary-eyed reaction to the touching video Dallas created for him was well-documented, and it clearly put him in an interesting position.

Have you ever gone out and tried to play a competitive basketball game mere moments after crying your eyes out because you witnessed something extremely emotionally draining? Probably not, and even most NBA players could probably not say they have.

Right from the outset, Doncic was behind the eight ball in this game. And that makes the way he responded that much more legendary. Those that were able to tune in saw Luka score 31 points in the first half, and finish with 45 by the end of the night. It was his first 30-point half in a Laker uniform. After the contest, JJ Redick had some big words for his star player that may indicate a bigger trend going forward.

Redick praised Luka's emotional performance

"The moment with the tribute video and him sitting by himself and getting to actually live that and live in the moment and allowing himself to be vulnerable ... His ability to then go perform, lights turn on, he’s teary-eyed still as we walk out on the court for the tip ball. To have the emotional resolve to then go put on that kind of performance, it’s superhuman," Redick said. The Lakers' coach also acknowledged that the rest of Luka's teammates empathized with what he was going through.

In talking about how Doncic was able to overcome the emotions of the situation to then go out and put up what was possibly his greatest performance in a Laker uniform thus far, Redick may have also hinted at the possibility that Luka got one final mental obstacle out of his way in this win. Some may say it's a stretch, but Doncic's reaction to his tribute video says it is not.

He was clearly anticipating that moment, and there is no question the scenario had existed in his brain long before it actually came to be in real life. Now that this situation is in the past, and the simple fact that Luka conquered it with authority could be an excellent sign for his confidence and mental clarity as his season continues.