Credit: Kirby Lee - Imagn Images

Gatorade Releases New Ad Before Luka Doncic's Return To Dallas

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Apr 9, 2025 5:24 PM ET

Luka Doncic will make an emotionally charged homecoming when the Dallas Mavericks host his Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

Two months ago, the Mavericks stunned the NBA world by trading Doncic to the Lakers in a package led by Anthony Davis. While the Mavericks are fighting to secure a spot in the play-in tournament, Los Angeles enters Wednesday as the Western Conference's No. 3 seed.

Doncic will play in American Airlines Arena for the first time as a Laker. Ahead of the matchup, Gatorado released an ad featuring the 26-year-old phenom.

The 14-second video begins with a stoic Doncic sitting on a chair inside an empty gym. He dribbles a basketball before standing up and walking away, and the camera pans out to show the letters "LA" imposed on the bleachers.

"No love lost," the ad says. "Only sweat."

One journey fuels the next ⚡ @luka7doncic pic.twitter.com/ZXGQeNzRsJ
— Gatorade (@Gatorade) April 9, 2025

Many Mavericks fans are still struggling to come to terms with Dallas moving the face of their franchise. Doncic made five first-team All-NBA appearances in his first six seasons and led the league with 33.9 points per game in 2023-24 before steering Dallas to the NBA Finals.

However, Dallas traded Doncic before he was eligible to receive a five-year, $345 million supermax extension. The team reportedly feared locking up Doncic due to conditioning concerns.

Per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Doncic rebuked that criticism by saying his doubters "have no idea" about his work ethic.

"I didn't end up here by mistake," Doncic said. "I worked my a** off to be here. So it's kinda, I would say disrespectful, just sad that people say that."

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Mavericks are planning a video tribute for Doncic on Wednesday. Fans will also receive shirts that say "Thank you for everything" in Slovenian.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that the Mavericks also attained "lucrative sponsorship deals" with companies that endorse Doncic for Wednesday's matchup. However, his camp blocked those agreements, "pointedly noting that he now plays for the Lakers."

Wednesday's game between the Mavericks and Lakers starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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