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Luka Doncic (25) was on top of the world after making a winning start to his Los Angeles Lakers career, saying it felt 'amazing' to take to the court with his new club and lauding LeBron James (40). Doncic was traded to the Lakers by the Dallas Mavericks at the start of the month in one of the biggest - and most shocking - deals in the history of the NBA, and few debuts have been as hotly anticipated as his.
Returning from a calf injury that had kept him out since December, he was only able to play 24 minutes in his new team's comfortable win over the Utah Jazz, but still managed to excite supporters with 14 points to his name by the end of the match.
Reflecting on his debut afterwards, he was pleased with how it went. "I heard a lot of noise when I was introduced - it was a special moment," Doncic said afterwards. "The way they received me, it was amazing to see. I was a little bit nervous before the game but once I stepped onto the court it was fun. Just being out there again felt amazing." One of the most exciting moments for fans was when he set LeBron up with a length-of-the-court pass, and he was immediately impressed by the American's intelligence. "He sees the way game in a different way to a lot of people and his IQ is insane," Doncic said. "To have two guys like that on the court is going to help the team."
