Sports
'Everybody had my back.' Lakers forge tighter bond supporting Luka Doncic in Dallas
DALLAS — For any other road game, Luka Doncic would’ve arrived at the arena on the team bus. For this on, he pulled up in an Apocalypse Hellfire, a six-wheeled mini-tank.
See for Doncic, this wasn’t really a road game. It wasn’t really a home game either. It was just a 26-year-old star stuck in this strange in-between world after he was traded from a team and city he loved to the Lakers, his life upended in a single phone call that left no time to empty his garage.
So instead of riding the bus, he drove the tank.
Doncic pulling into Wednesday’s game in Dallas by himself was fitting.
Luka Doncic sits on the bench and fights back tears while watching a video his former team, the Mavericks, played in his honor Wednesday night in Dallas.
(LM Otero / Associated Press)
The anticipation for the moment had been building since the blockbuster trade on Feb. 1, his return to a fan base that has openly mourned and protested his departure with a mixture of sadness, anger and abandonment of the Mavericks. Outside the arena, a bar served shots for $7.77 in honor of No. 77 while a runner took 77 laps around the American Airlines Center to raise money for Doncic’s foundation.
The shirts draped on the seats said Hvala za vse — “Thanks for everything” in Slovenian.
It was going to be all about him.
But something else happened Wednesday as the Lakers won 112-97 to clinch a top-six seed and playoff spot.
Doncic’s moment? It became about the Lakers as a whole, the group crying the same tears, fighting off the same emotions and celebrating with an exhale that can propel them into the playoffs.
That feeling bubbled throughout the night, from the pregame tribute video to the final horn, and it was cemented after Doncic’s final basket, a flat-footed three-foot push shot that might’ve been the easiest two points of his 45.
As he walked to the bench after Dallas called time out to surrender, Rui Hachimura met him with a huge smile. Austin Reaves howled and bumped chests with Doncic. Dorian Finney-Smith and Doncic did their choreographed handshake.
And, finally, LeBron James met him with the biggest hug he could deliver.
“I’ve been in a lot of moments in my career. I’ve played against some former teammates. I’ve played against former teams. I’ve been booed, I’ve been cheered, I’ve been whatever. Everything. I’ve seen it all,” James told The Times. “And one thing you can’t ever undermine is just the emotion behind a human. And, as much emotion that was going on tonight, as much hoopla was going on and how much the game of basketball wrapped around it, the human side kicked in.
“Not only for Luka, but for our ballclub and for me.”
It was no longer a Doncic moment; it was a Lakers moment.
That embrace had been building since the moments just prior to the game when the Mavericks played a two-minute tribute video on the scoreboard before they announced him as a visiting player for the first time.
Doncic sat alone on the bench, looking from the video screen to the towel he used to hide his face. And while he watched, Lakers coaches and players watched Doncic, drawn into nakedly exposed emotions.
“Coach said after the game when he saw Luka crying, he started crying,” Reaves told The Times. “[Assistant coach Greg St. Jean] started crying. And to be honest, I didn’t wanna look at him because I was over there looking up and I was getting chills. So I was like, ‘If I look at this man and I see the emotion, like I’m probably going to get upset.’
“So I think everybody in the locker room had the same feeling.”
James was there for a pregame embrace after Doncic was announced, another moment for him to share with his new teammate.
And then he brought apocalyptic hellfire, scoring 31 points in the first half.
Laker Rui Hachimura hugs teammate Luka Doncic and celebrates his success during an emotional win over his former team, the Mavericks, Wednesday in Dallas.
(LM Otero / Associated Press)
“It’s a beautiful moment,” coach JJ Redick said. “I thought the video was great, but I think just his ability to then go perform…
“Lights turn on. He’s teary-eyed still as we walk out on the court for the tip ball. To have the emotional resolve to then go put on that kind of performance, it’s superhuman.”
In their push for prime playoff position, the Lakers (49-31) have shown great moments of on-court connection, particularly in blowout wins in Denver and Oklahoma City. Those bonds seemed to only tighten Wednesday as they rode the emotional roller coaster with Doncic instead of leaving him to face it alone.
“Everybody had my back, from coaches to players,” Doncic said. “And we’re trying to build something special here and that was really, really, really nice to see.”
He had to have felt it after walking off the court in the fourth quarter, the crowd and his teammates all chanting his name as the Lakers’ huddle bounced with excitement. Redick said he and St. Jean noticed that embrace with James first.
“It can bring you together. It can bring you closer. You never know. NBA is a fickle thing. Greg and I were talking as that moment was happening, both kind of fighting back some emotions. And Greg said to me, ‘This is gonna be awesome for our group to go through this with him, and for him to go through this with them.’
“Does that mean we’re gonna win an NBA championship or get to the conference finals? I don’t know. But it was an awesome moment for everyone.”
“I think it just, it shows in a short period of time, it shows how much that we care about one another,” Reaves said.
It wasn’t just a night for Doncic; it was one for his team days away from beginning a playoff chase for a championship. And it was a night for James and Doncic as they strengthen their partnership heading into their first postseason.
“For him to have the game he had,” James said, “for me to be a part of it, for me to be a part of helping him win the game — ‘cause I know how important that was even more than anything — it was just another step in our journey.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The WNBA season has been in session for about a week, so it is far too early to make assumptions about teams. That doesn’t mean we won’t make them; it’s just too early to really believe it. I lost my first WNBA bet this season, so I’m hoping to avenge that loss here as the Sky take on the Mercury.
The Chicago Sky are one of the most poorly run franchises in basketball. They have had some great names on their team and only one championship to show for it.
Phoenix Mercury forward DeWanna Bonner shoots over Indiana Fever guard Aerial Powers in the first half at PHX Arena. (Rick Scuteri/Imagn Images)
There really isn’t a clear indication of what is wrong with the franchise, but they’ve never been able to retain their talent. Aside from Kamilla Cardoso, I can’t name a player on this team that they’ve actually drafted. They just seem to get good players and then show them the door.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE
Even though they’ve had questionable front office decisions, they seem to have put together a solid team for this season – something I didn’t expect before the season started.
They are 2-0, which is too early to really say they are a good team. I also want to reserve judgment until they face a team with a longer history than last year. The Portland Tempo played their first-ever game against the Sky, and Golden State was good last year, but still is in just their second season of existence.
The Phoenix Mercury are actually considered one of the best franchises in the league. I’m sure there are issues that people have reported, but for the most part, they have good facilities, and people want to play for their team. They made it all the way to the WNBA Finals last season before falling to the Las Vegas Aces. This year, they are looking to restart that journey and see if they can win the last game of the year.
Phoenix Mercury guard Kahleah Copper dribbles the ball in the second half at CareFirst Arena in Washington, D.C., on July 27, 2025. (Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images)
It will need to come with some better play than they’ve shown through three games this year. They are just 1-2 for the year with a 0-1 home record. The lone win was a blowout victory over the Aces (a clear revenge game if we’ve ever seen one). Then they lost the next two games against Golden State and Minnesota. Losing to the Lynx wouldn’t be a problem, but they didn’t have Napheesa Collier, who still has an ankle injury.
I expect the Mercury to make some adjustments for this game. They haven’t looked very crisp to begin the year, but they’ve been strong on offense, averaging 87 points per game.
The Sky are going to keep relying on their offense to do just enough and their defense to lock in. The Sky do have an edge on the interior, so they can get buckets fairly easily down low. I like the over 166.5 in this game.
Chicago Sky guard Skylar Diggins chases the ball during the fourth quarter against the Golden State Valkyries at Chase Center in San Francisco, Calif., on May 13, 2026. (Bob Kupbens/Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
I also think it is worth betting on Kahleah Copper to go over her point total. Copper had two rough games before she broke out in the last game. Now she has the same sight lines and can attack the bigs from the Sky with her athleticism. Since going to Phoenix, she has scored 29, 7, 16, 25 and 28 points in five games against them.
For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on X/Twitter: @futureprez2024
Tom Harp has been coaching volleyball at Granada Hills High for so long that few remember he won a City Section championship as a co-head football coach with Darryl Stroh in 1987.
In the 1990s, he turned exclusively to coaching boys’ and girls’ volleyball, winning a combined 15 City titles and making 28 finals appearances. The top-seeded Highlanders will try to deliver a seventh Open Division championship on Saturday when they face West Valley League rival Chatsworth in a 4 p.m. final at Birmingham.
The league rivals split their two West Valley matches, with each going five games. Chatsworth knocked off 17-time champion Palisades in the semifinals. MIT-bound Grant Chang is Chatsworth’s 6-foot-6 powerful outside hitter.
All-City volleyball player RJ Francisco of Granada Hills shows off his hitting skills against Chatsworth.
(Craig Weston)
Granada Hills has RJ Francisco, who had 19 kills in a win over Chatsworth.
The Southern Section Division 1 final is Friday night, with Mira Costa taking on Loyola in a 7:30 p.m. match at Cerritos College.
Regional and state playoffs begin next week.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Cedric Alexander becomes new TNA X Division champion, crushing Leon Slater’s history-making attempt
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
All eyes were on the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) X Division Championship on Thursday night as Leon Slater looked to retain the title over Cedric Alexander and solidify himself as the longest-reigning X Division champion in the company’s history.
Slater knew a legacy was on the line as he looked to break a record set by Austin Aries. But he needed to pin Alexander twice in one match to retain the title. It was a steep mountain to climb as Alexander had been just as dangerous since he entered the company.
The match started off hot with Slater and Alexander trading blows to begin the match. But a quick-thinking Slater rolled up Alexander quickly for the first fall.
Cedric Alexander in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 23, 2025. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE)
Alexander was able to go on offense from there. He hit a nasty German suplex on the outside of the ring. He continued to work on Slater’s tweaked neck. He later hit a Lumbar Check to tie the match at 1-1.
Slater went deep into his bag. He hit an avalanche Styles Clash, which could have kept anyone else down. However, Alexander kicked out. Alexander was able to counter Slater’s high-flying abilities just for a moment and knocked him back out of the ring.
Alexander sent Slater into the steel steps, leaving him busted open. Alexander declared that he would be the “greatest” X Division champion. One brainbuster later, Alexander tried to pin Slater, but couldn’t get him down.
Alexander hit a Lumbar Check again, but Slater kicked out. Slater mustered up the last ounce of energy. A tilt-a-whirl slam set Alexander up for a swanton 450. Slater missed and Alexander hit another Lumbar Check, and then again.
Leon Slater enters the arena during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Jan. 6, 2026. (Craig Melvin/WWE)
Alexander pinned Slater for the win, completely shocking the fans in Sacramento, California. It will be the first reign for Alexander and his first title of any kind in TNA.
Alexander is a reminder, at least for TNA, that “The System always wins.”
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Fabian Aichner appears
Fabian Aichner, formerly known as Giovanni Vinci, makes his way to the ring during WWE SmackDown at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2024. (WWE/Getty Images)
Moments before TNA went off the air, the lights went out in the Sacramento Memorial Auditorium. Emerging from the darkness was Fabian Aichner.
Aichner stared down Alexander and appeared to name himself the next challenger for the X Division Championship. Aichner, known as Giovanni Vinci for much of his run in WWE, hadn’t really been seen or heard from in months since his departure from WWE.
Aichner wrestled under his real name for a stint in WWE before he came back as Vinci in June 22. He was with WWE until 2025. He was a two-time NXT tag team champion and an Evolve champion before it became a WWE brand.
Eric Young earns future shot at TNA World Championship
Eric Young outlasted nine other men in an over-the-top battle royal and earned a shot at Mike Santana’s TNA World Championship to start the show.
The match came down to him and Elijah after the latter was able to toss members of The System out of the ring while also avoiding Frankie Kazarian trying to get back into the match following his own elimination.
Young and Elijah came to blows on the apron, knowing that as soon as their feet touch the ground, they would be eliminated. Young grabbed onto Elijah’s hair to try to hang onto the moment. Elijah broke away with Young’s back turned to him. Elijah, however, didn’t account for his wide stance.
The TNA original kicked Elijah in the groin and pushed him down to the ground. Young won the match and received a shot to win the TNA World Championship in the future.
He also made clear that Santana was next on his list of people to wipe out as he did to Joe Hendry, EC3 and Ricky Sosa in weeks past.
“Mike Santana, you’re gone next,” he declared.
Mike Santana learns his next opponent
Mike Santana stands in the ring during NXT at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., on Sept. 30, 2025. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)
Mike Santana came out to address the crowd and praised Young for his efforts to help build TNA from the ground up.
“You better be coming with something different because while you may be someone who helped build this place, when it comes to the new era of TNA on AMC, I’m the guy. I’m the man. I’m the one who holds down the fort week after week as your TNA world champion.”
While Young might have earned a title shot, Daria Rae came out and revealed to the crowd that Steve Maclin was cleared to return to action following an injury at the hands of Santana.
Maclin will get a shot at Santana’s TNA World Championship next week on “Impact.”
Santino Marella also came out during the segment after he was “suspended.” He revealed that Indi Harwell re-signed with TNA.
Lei Ying Lee, Xia Brookside rivalry heats up
Xia Brookside attends the “Freelance” screening at Regal Waterford Lakes in Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 24, 2023. (Jose Devillegas/Getty Images)
Lei Ying Lee brought the TNA Knockouts Championship back home last week with a win over Arianna Grace. She addressed the crowd before being interrupted by her former best friend, Xia Brookside.
In all black, Brookside claimed she was already in Lei’s head.
“You’re such a fraud. I’ve destroyed you mentally, I’ve destroyed you emotionally, I’ve destroyed you physically, and that title will be around my waist.”
Both competitors tossed expletives at each other before the segment was over. But Brookside made clear that she had her eyes on the title.
AJ Francis prevails over KC Navarro
A.J. Francis told Fox News Digital before the SacTown Street Fight on “Impact” that he was going to bring the pain to Navarro.
While wearing “Show Stealer” across his back, Francis did just that. Francis took some punishment from Navarro – a few shots from a baseball bat and a drop kick with a trash can.
Francis was able to turn the tide for a few moments, using the baseball bat to his advantage. But Navarro dug deep. He aligned six chairs in the ring, hoping to splash Francis through it. Instead, Francis countered and attempted an avalanche Down Payment. Somehow, Navarro countered with a cutter as both men crashed through the sea of chairs.
It looked like it could’ve been it. Navarro went for the pin, but only got a two count.
Francis turned on the heat from there. He got ahold of Navarro and hit a Down Payment through tables lined up on the outside of the ring.
He rolled Navarro back into the ring and picked up the pinfall victory.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“Impact” match results
- Eric Young wins the 10-man battle royal to earn a shot at the TNA World Championship.
- A.J. Francis def. KC Navarro in a SacTown Street Fight.
- Rosemary and Allie def. Veronica Crawford and Mila Moore
- Cedric Alexander def. Leon Slater to win the X Division Championship.
-
North Carolina5 minutes agoSketch of Revolutionary NC brigade discovered hanging on NY wall
-
North Dakota11 minutes agoMemorial service at North Dakota State Capitol honors fallen officers
-
Ohio17 minutes agoOhio State educators honored for service in classroom and beyond
-
Oklahoma23 minutes agoOklahoma high school tennis Classes 6A-4A boys state championship results
-
Oregon29 minutes agoOregon health officials warn of measles exposure at Happy Valley clinic
-
Pennsylvania35 minutes agoWhat each Pennsylvania 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary candidate would do on Day 1
-
Rhode Island41 minutes agoPerson injured after falling onto Red Line tracks near Rhode Island Avenue station
-
South Dakota53 minutes agoSouth Dakota Highway Patrol: slow down, stay alert as summer traffic picks up