Muscle Memory, Maybe? Luka Doncic Nearly Walked Into the Mavericks' Locker Room on Saturday

They say old habits die hard, and Luka Dončić is no exception. After spending six and a half seasons in Dallas, his body had been conditioned to walk certain hallways and open familiar doors.

This past Saturday, Dončić described a funny instance of muscle memory that took place during halftime of the Lakers–Mavericks game. The Mavs were hosting the Lakers at American Airlines Center, which happened to be Dončić's first stomping grounds in the NBA.

Apparently, Dončić was close to walking in on his former team’s halftime huddle. “I remember the first time I was here [after getting traded], I wanted to go to the locker room. I forgot it was all the way down there for the visiting team. Today, I think, I was going to the other tunnel,” he sheepishly admitted in an appearance on “Inside the NBA.”

As Dončić alluded to, this is not the first time that he visited the Mavericks’ home venue after getting dealt to the Lakers. On February 25, 2025, just three weeks after the blockbuster trade, the Slovenian star returned to American Airlines Center and openly shed tears as fans joined the Mavs organization in giving him an emotional tribute.

It’s not surprising that Dončić's feet naturally took him in the direction of the home team’s locker room that night. Clearly, this is something that the six-time All-Star needs to unlearn, as his sense of direction was still oriented a certain way.

Though Dončić has said plenty of kind words for his former team, calling Dallas “a special place for me,” Lakers fans can hardly question his commitment to elevating the purple and gold squad. In his first full season with the Lakers, Dončić is averaging 33.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game. There are question marks surrounding the Lakers’ chances in the postseason, but Dončić's high-octane offense is not one of them.

Just days before the playoffs begin, the final Lakers–Mavericks game at American Airlines Center this season will take place. It’s possible that Dončić won’t be suiting up for this April 5 matchup, but if he does walk the hallways of that arena, he’ll probably be more cautious when it comes to the directions of his footsteps.