LeBron James Issues Strong Statement on Luka Doncic’s 45-Point Night vs. Mavericks

Luka Doncic returned to Dallas on Wednesday and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar put on quite the show. The former Dallas Mavericks All-Star finished with 45 points, eight rebounds and six assists while shooting 16-of-28 from the field, 7-of-10 from 3 and 6-of-9 from the free-throw line. 

Doncic cried during the Mavericks' video tribute to him during starting lineup introductions. The future Hall of Famer was so emotional that he admitted after the game he wasn't sure he could play. 

"After that video, I was like, 'There's no way I'm playing this game,'" Doncic said. "It was so many emotions."

Doncic mustered up the strength to play and dominated the game from start to finish, helping the Lakers win by a final score of 112-97. 

LeBron James, who poured in 27 points, praised his co-star during his postgame media session with reporters. 

"You can call that an out-of-body experience then," James said. "Because he was locked in from start to finish. It was an unbelievable moment, something I’ll probably never forget to be a part of that moment. The kid had seven amazing seasons here and went from a kid to a man. So for all those moments to just come together today, it’s pretty cool."