Luka Doncic’s locker room admission will break Mavericks fans’ hearts

The Luka Doncic trade still haunts the Dallas Mavericks fanbase to this day. Traded unceremoniously to the Los Angeles Lakers last year with no warning signs, it’s clear from how fans react to Doncic’s presence that they still have love for their former star. Doncic was their best player in a while and was committed to staying with the team for the long run, which makes the trade hurt more.

When the Lakers visited the Mavericks this season, fans found themselves hurting a little again at halftime. Doncic was interviewed by the “Inside the NBA” crew after his big performance over his former team. During the interview, the Slovenian admitted that during halftime, he mistakenly went in the direction of the Mavs’ locker room before remembering where he should be.

Luka Doncic joins the Inside the NBA crew after dropping 33 points on his former team in Dallas

And yes, he did accidentally walk toward the wrong locker room at halftime pic.twitter.com/krn2nimVFr

— ESPN (@espn) January 25, 2026

Doncic was the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Mavericks. A young hotshot who made his name in the EuroLeague, Doncic was pegged to be the next Dirk Nowitzki of the franchise. The star did that and then some, blossoming into a bona fide MVP candidate with the team. He collected five All-NBA and All-Star selections, won Rookie of the Year, and won the scoring title in his last full season with the team. Doncic also led the Mavericks to the Finals in 2024, where they lost to the Boston Celtics.

The year after that Finals run, though, Doncic was traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis and Max Christie just weeks before the trade deadline. The move completely came out of left field, a true rarity in the age of scoops and leaks. The trade, as well as former GM Nico Harrison’s justification of the decision, was universally hated by Mavericks fans, especially since Doncic had expressed his desire to retire with Dallas.

While Doncic wasn’t quite as dominant as he was in his first game back in Dallas, the Lakers star was still instrumental in their win over the Mavericks this season. Doncic scored 33 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and dished out 11 assists as LA stormed back to win over

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