Nowitzki, who was teammates with Doncic in his final season (and Doncic’s first) in the NBA, said in a radio appearance afterward that Doncic invited him to attend the Lakers debut and that Nowitzki felt he had to be there to support Doncic, who Nowitzki said was stunned by the trade.

Dallas Mavericks legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki will be in attendance Wednesday when the Mavs host the Los Angeles Lakers and welcome back Luka Dončić since the team traded the five-time All-NBA First Team player to L.A. on Feb. 1.

Though he’s no longer a part of the Dallas Mavericks franchise, Luka Doncic is expected to draw quite a crowd for Wednesday’s clash with the Los Angeles Lakers — his first game back in the city since he was traded back in early February for Anthony Davis.