The Dallas Mavericks want to show their appreciate for Luka Dončić ahead of his return to the American Airlines Center on Wednesday. After starring with the franchise for six-and-a-half seasons, Dončić was shipped to the Los Angeles Lakers in a shocking February trade.
The Mavericks are hoping to erase any bad blood from that trade by paying tribute to Dončić before he takes the court Wednesday. Prior to the contest, the team laid out shirts featuring the Slovenian phrase “hvala za vse” on each seat in the arena.
Hvala za vse roughly translates to “thank you so much” or “thank you for everything.”
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It’s unclear what other tributes the team has in anticipation of Dončić’s return.
The franchise should be thankful for Dončić’s contributions. After being acquired by the Mavericks during the 2018 NBA Draft, Dončić excelled immediately, winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award in his first season.
He got even better from there. Over the next five seasons, Dončić made the All-Star team and was named to the first-team All-NBA team each year. He posted three top-5 MVP finishes over that period, and never finished lower than eighth in the voting.
The Mavericks made four playoff appearances with Dončić, getting all the way to the NBA Finals last season. Despite Dončić averaging 29.2 points per game in the Finals, the team fell to the Boston Celtics in five games.
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Dončić was once again in the midst of a tremendous season when he was traded to the Lakers in February. The deal sparked outrage among Mavericks fans, who showed up in force to protest the move. Shortly after the trade, Dončić thanked the fans for their support.
Given those reactions, Dončić should receive a raucous ovation when he takes the court Wednesday. While Dončić will likely show appreciation to the fans, that probably won’t stop him from showing out against the franchise that shipped him away.
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