Luka Dončić says goodbye to Dallas: ‘I wanted so badly to bring you a championship’

Luka Dončić released an emotional farewell to Dallas on Sunday, the same day a trade sending him from the Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in a swap for fellow All-NBA player Anthony Davis was finalized.

Dončić said in a letter to the city that he “wanted so badly to bring you a championship” and that he thought he’d spend his career in Dallas.

“For a young kid from Slovenia coming to the U.S. for the first time, you made North Texas feel like home,” Dončić wrote. “In good times and bad, from injuries to the NBA Finals, your support never changed. Thank you not only for sharing my joy in our best moments, but also for lifting me up when I needed it most.”

Dončić was enormously popular in Dallas — and everywhere else. His No. 77 Mavericks jersey ranked eighth among best-sellers through NBAStore.com over the first half of the season. On Sunday night, some Dončić items remained for sale on the Mavs’ shopping site.

His jersey sales will likely skyrocket again now, when the Lakers make his new ones available.

“Grateful for this amazing opportunity,” Dončić wrote in another social media post, linking it to one from the Lakers’ accounts welcoming him to Los Angeles. “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.”

Dončić had built deep ties to Dallas off the floor, including through many charitable organizations. He had given large sums of money to various entities in North Texas and arranged for Jordan Brand sneakers — he represents the brand — to be given to frontline workers in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The appreciation was mutual. When Dončić led Slovenia to a berth into the Tokyo Olympics that were held in 2021, Dallas County Commissioners declared July 6 of that year as “Luka Dončić Day” in celebration of both his on- and off-court accomplishments.

In only 422 games, he ranks sixth on Dallas’ all-time scoring list, is second in 3-pointers in Mavs history behind only Dirk Nowitzki, is third on the club list in rebounds and fifth in assists.

“To all the organizations I’ve worked with throughout the Dallas community, thank you for letting me contribute to your important work and join you in bringing light to those who need it,” Dončić wrote. “As I start the next part of my basketball journey, I am leaving a city that will always feel like a home away from home. Dallas is a special place, and Mavs fans are special fans.”

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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