LOS ANGELES: Slovenian star Luka Doncic said Sunday he thought he'd spend his entire NBA career in Dallas, thanking fans in Texas for making it feel like home a day after the Mavericks abruptly traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Seven years ago, I came here as a teenager to pursue my dream of playing basketball at the highest level," Doncic wrote in a message to fans posted on X. "I thought I'd spend my career here and I wanted so badly to bring you a championship.
"The love and support you all have given me is more than I could have ever dreamed of. For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the US for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home."
Doncic, a EuroLeague MVP as a teenager, has established himself as a star since arriving in Dallas in 2018.
The 25-year-old, who led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season and was a finalist for Most Valuable Player honors, was expected to be the face of the Mavs for years to come.
Instead it was Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka who was looking forward to having "a one-of-a-kind, young global superstar" to lead the club now enjoying the final stages of superstar LeBron James's career.
There was emotion as well from James, who has forged a strong bond with Davis in six seasons together that included a title together in 2020.
"Love you, my dog. Go crazy over there," James posted on Instagram over a photo of him and Davis embracing on court, a weeping emoji completing the post.
After posting his heartfelt message to Dallas, Doncic looked toward the future with a post showing him in a Lakers uniform.
"Grateful for this amazing opportunity," he wrote. Basketball means everything to me, and no matter where I play the game I'll do so with the same joy, passion and goal -- to win championships."