Luka Doncic dropped a triple-double in his first game against the Dallas Mavericks since being traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, helping his new team win 107-99, but later conceded that he was glad it was over.

Doncic became just the third NBA player to record a triple-double against every NBA franchise on Tuesday, while also recording 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists. 

The Slovenian joined team-mate LeBron James and Russell Westbrook of the Denver Nuggets as the only players to have a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams.

Despite achieving the feat, Doncic appeared conflicted in his post-game press conference.

"It was just a lot of emotions and not much sleep," he said of the game coming just over three weeks since he moved from Dallas to LA.

"I can't even explain [it]. It was a different game... Sometimes I don't know what I was doing. And I'm just glad it's over, honestly."

But having got through the game, Doncic was clearly relieved and suggested that dealing with the emotional side of it could help him going forward, given that he had spent seven years with the Mavs previously.

"It definitely will help me," Doncic said of putting the game behind him. "It's definitely going to help in the long [run]."

Yeah Lakers pic.twitter.com/0jLVJGgHrl

— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) February 26, 2025

But having got through it, new team-mate James spoke out in support of Doncic in the postgame.

"Obviously, there's a lot of emotion that goes in when you give so much to a franchise, and you sacrifice for a franchise, and you have that type of love and respect for a franchise throughout all the journeys," James said of Doncic.

"They went to the Finals, all that stuff. He's grown from being an 18-19-year-old kid to now a 25-year-old man with a family. When you move on, or they move on from you, it's very emotional, obviously. It's very taxing.

"It's probably a lot of things that were going on in his head that probably didn't even involve the game itself. With that said, I thought he handled it tremendously."

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving top-scored in the game with 35 points and acknowledged that facing the person with whom they went to the Finals together last season was "awkward as ****."

"But at the same time, it was fun," Iriving added. "We got a chance to feel like we were in practice all over again, going at each other. That was a good reflection point. And then just seeing the crowd cheer for him and just get him going. It was fun competing."

Doncic, meanwhile, referred to Irving as his "hermano" and explained that their relationship goes "way beyond basketball."

Lakers coach JJ Redick also said that there was no use in anyone ignoring the awkwardness of the schedule, with it also being strange to see Anthony Davis lining up against them.

Davis was traded to the Mavericks with Doncic coming the other way after six years with the Lakers, and was given a standing ovation in the first quarter after the Lakers played a tribute video for him.

"You kind of just got to embrace it," Redick said. "It's just a little weird. It just naturally is. It's healthy, actually, just to acknowledge it and embrace it.

"And then you play the game and then you never have to do that again."

Hermanos #MFFL pic.twitter.com/mCMvFfQ0M6

— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) February 26, 2025