Luka Dončić was a member of the Dallas Mavericks less than a month ago. The widespread presumption was that he would remain one for the foreseeable future. It was a shock to see him play against the Mavericks and defeat them, 107-99, on Tuesday as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dallas guard Kyrie Irving remarked, “awkward as hell” after the game, highlighting the atmosphere throughout the arena.

There were moments when even the opposing general manager was praised by the coliseum fans as they yelled “thank you Nico” during a timeout, directed at Mavericks GM Nico Harrison for trading Dončić.

Dončić noted, “Sometimes I didn’t know what I was doing” during his first triple-double with the Lakers. Despite the struggle, he feels positive about the Lakers’ potential.

“The closure’s gonna take a while, I think… But every day is better,” he stated. Until recently, he expected to resign with the Mavericks, but the surprising trade now finds him at a new juncture with the Lakers who are eager yet figuring out how to best incorporate him into their strategy.

The situation shows promise as the Lakers sit with a record of 35-21 while the Mavericks have slid down to No. 9 in the West after last year’s finals appearance with Dončić.