Luka Doncic received a rousing reception from the Dallas Mavericks crowd upon his return to the American Airlines Center on Wednesday. Doncic came back as an opponent in the Lakers outfit but was showered with all the respect he deserved at the arena, where he proudly represented the Mavs and produced countless memorable moments of glory for seven years straight. The Mavericks displayed a heartfelt video on the return of its departed star, and immediately after witnessing it, emotions got the better of the Slovenian. Luka could not hold back his tears, and upon watching the emotional rollercoaster that transpired ahead of the start of the Lakers vs Mavericks game, Skip Bayless has made an opinion which could be labelled as insensitive given the history Luka Doncic has with Dallas Mavericks.
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Skip Bayless' Blunt Opinion on Luka Doncic's Emotional Return to Dallas
After being traded away in the trade deadline of February, the immediate statement that was released by Luka Doncic, expressed shock and also made it known that he had no intentions of leaving the Dallas Mavericks, and wanted to stay till the end of his career. However, he held no grudges and exhibited professionalism and regard for the Lakers from the outset. After a quiet start to his new gig, Luka Doncic settled in well and has been the standout player for the Purple and Gold in recent weeks. But, as the player cut out a sentimental image on Wednesday for being respected by his former franchise, it came as a good enough reason for Skip Bayless to question Doncic's loyalty towards the Lakers.
The analyst took to social media to give air to his opinion. Here's what he wrote:
"If I'm LeBron or Austin Reaves and I see Luka crying before the game, I'm thinking - 'If you miss it this badly, do you want to stay here? Don't you want to be a Laker?'"
If I'm LeBron or Austin Reaves and I see Luka crying before the game, I'm thinking - "If you miss it this badly, do you want to stay here? Don't you want to be a Laker?" pic.twitter.com/PxuiKxshIC
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 10, 2025
Regardless of what Skip Bayless said, Luka Doncic did his job for the Lakers by scoring a mammoth 45 points on the day. He was instrumental in the Lakers' win. Thus, it can be positively said that LeBron James and Austin Reaves are not putting that query- highlighted by Skip- in front of Luka Doncic.