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As Dallas continues to reap their losses following the trade of superstar Luka Dončić, Los Angeles is riding high—and even embracing a new nickname for the city.
“I’ve heard that, even within their organization, some in L.A. have taken to referring to Lakerland as Lukaland,” said NBA insider Marc Stein.
Dončić, was averaging 28.1 points per game on 46.4 percent shooting, while Davis has been averaging 25.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 52.8 percent from the field.
After the blockbuster trade that sent Dončić to the Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks—along with other players and several draft picks—one NBA city has been celebrating its success while the other is in full revolt.
Davis, in particular, has quickly felt the weight of the move, as the infamous “bones made of glass” jabs followed him to Dallas almost immediately when he suffered a non-contact injury in the third quarter of his Mavericks debut, adding to the frustration of fans already skeptical of the trade.
“Disbelief remains prevalent throughout the NBA and especially in Dallas, where that is merely one of the smothering sentiments in the air,” Stein said. “This is a city trying to sort through heartbreak, outrage and, presumably, fresh waves of all-over-the-place emotions after watching Davis look like the most dominant two-way player on the planet for two quarters in Saturday’s matinee victory over visiting Houston … only to see him exit the third quarter with an injury.”
The stark contrast between the two cities and their reactions to acquiring All-Stars has been striking.
While Lakers fans celebrated the arrival of Dončić, even renaming the infamous Lakerland in his honor, Mavericks fans erupted in outrage. Protests broke out in Dallas, with fans calling for front-office firings and chanting “loyalty” and “sell the team” in frustration over losing their superstar.
Luka is targeting his Lakers debut on Monday after being sidelined since Christmas Day with a left calf strain.
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