Luka Doncic can't contain raw emotion during Mavericks' touching tribute video

The American Airlines Center welcomed back Luka Doncic to the American Airlines Center for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night, and the game was filled with emotions long before it even began.

The amount of Doncic Lakers jerseys, as well as No. 77 Mavs jerseys, was overwhelming, and the scene outside of the arena was bonkers way before it started. The atmosphere inside the arena was just as crazy, and each seat inside the stadium had a shirt on it that read "thank you for everything" in Slovenian to show their appreciation for Doncic.

He knew that his first game in Dallas was going to be emotional, but even Doncic himself couldn't have predicted that it would be this emotional. He gave his heart and soul to the Mavericks over his six and a half years in Big D, and the fans gave their hearts right back to him unconditionally.

Rather than waiting until the first timeout to show a tribute video as they usually do, the Mavericks elected to show their appreciation to Doncic before they announced his name in the starting lineup (last after four of the other Lakers starters), and his reaction is enough to make a grown man cry.

Luka Doncic sheds a tear during Mavericks tribute video

Doncic was visibly crying as the video played on the big screen of the AAC, and Mavs fans erupted with cheers. They couldn't believe that Doncic was taking the floor at his former palace wearing the purple and gold rather than Mavericks blue, and neither could he.

Doncic never wanted to leave Dallas, and the fans wanted the same exact thing. They wanted Doncic to lead them to the NBA Finals just like he did last season, and Nico Harrison took away his chance to do that. Harrison removed Mavericks fans' hope for now and the future in the blink of an eye, and Doncic's reaction to the tribute video reflects how every Mavs fan feels about the trade.

Mavs fans are known for loyalty, and they wanted to go through the highs and lows with Doncic just like they did with Dirk Nowitzki. Seemingly, everyone expected Doncic to follow in his footsteps, and potentially surpass him one day, and Mavs fans seethe when thinking about him not being a Maverick anymore.

Doncic crying during the tribute video is just the start of his big night in Dallas, as the arena erupted with cheers every time he touched the ball. The cheers for Doncic's buckets are noticeably louder than any Mavericks bucket, and his magic has been on display early and often in this one.

Doncic's six-year run in Dallas will never be forgotten, and he and Mavericks fans will never forget what it was like being inside the arena for his first game back as a Laker. It was a surreal experience, as the love that was shown for him showed how heartbroken the entire city was by Harrison's choice to trade him in the middle of the night on February 1. The theatrics surrounding it all seemed like it was Doncic's jersey retirement night or last game with the team, but no.

It was Doncic's first game back in Dallas as a member of the Lakers, and it's not like he asked out. He was blindsided and backstabbed by the Mavericks organization, and Mavs fans showed that they wished things were much different.

We'll have you covered with all the latest from Doncic's big night in Dallas, as it is bound to be one of the most exciting regular-season games in Mavs history.