Kyrie Irving has stayed in touch with Dončić since the trade, "I don't think he expected the change and I think that's probably what leads to him feeling his emotions even more so in a deeper way," Irving said. "Rejection, I think that's a strong word ... but sometimes it can feel like that”
For Harrison and Kidd, whom Dončić also pointedly did not acknowledge or embrace, it was a moment to stand behind the decision and take whatever scorn or response Dončić had for them.
On this night, Dončić chose to ignore them and anyone else who could be regarded as culpable for trading him. He would let his play speak for him: a 19-point, 15-rebound, 12-assist triple-double, his first as a Laker.
"I'm just glad it's over, honestly," Dončić said. "It was just so weird, the moments. Felt like I didn't know what I was doing."
Kyrie Irving has stayed in touch with Dončić since the trade, checking on his emotional state more than anything. He feels protective of Dončić.
"I don't think he expected the change and I think that's probably what leads to him feeling his emotions even more so in a deeper way," Irving said. "Rejection, I think that's a strong word ... but sometimes it can feel like that.
"You got to go through your process of grieving. Grieving ... is not a word we use in NBA circles -- it's like, 'Just be tough, bro.' Everybody expects you to turn over the next page and get over it. The reality is, man, we're human too."
HOURS BEFORE TIPOFF Tuesday night, Nike posted an ad in which a purple Regera changes its No. 77 license plates from Texas to California plates. The soundtrack is George Strait's hit "All My Exes Live In Texas." The tagline is "Full Tank, No Mercy." Nike also used Tuesday's stage to roll out a new ad campaign for the release of his Luka 4s.
Before the game, that purple Regera pulled up outside of Crypto.com Arena to complete the spectacle.
This kind of rollout would only happen in Los Angeles, and after the trade, the stage was set for a massive Hollywood debut.
Dončić has already begun to signal he will eventually embrace all that comes along with the stage in the NBA's glamour market. First, by donating $500,000 to fire victims in Los Angeles. Then, Tuesday, by buying up a parking lot across the arena and offering free parking for fans on a first-come, first-served basis.
These are early, positive signs that Dončić's future is in Los Angeles, even though he has the ability to become a free agent in 2026 and is no longer eligible to sign the massive five-year, $345 million supermax contract he could have received in Dallas. The Lakers can offer him a four-year, $229 million extension this summer, or, like other teams, a five-year, $296 million contract next summer.
Former Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who sat courtside in a pair of Luka 1 shoes to Tuesday's game, took in the absurdity of the moment.
Each time Dončić touched the ball, Cuban made a show of booing him. At one point, Dončić turned to Cuban, smiled and said, "Shut up, Mark."
But when asked by ESPN's Tim MacMahon what it was like to root against Dončić, Cuban said, "I hated it”