Luka Doncic reaches the NBA record. Wilt Chamberlain has it in league history.
When Luka Donsic began his NBA journey with the Dallas Mavericks, he was a 19-year-old with many possibilities.
Fast forward to the 2024-25 NBA season when the Mavericks traded Luka for the Los Angeles Lakers despite him becoming a franchise legend in just six seasons.
To this day, not many people can understand why general manager Nico Harrison decided to trade Don Sic with the Lakers. But what fans know is that MAVS faced Donsic’s wrath when he returned to the American Airlines Center.
Being in the visitor’s locker room must have been odd for Donsic, who has called Dallas his home since the start of his NBA career.
If that wasn’t enough, Donsic couldn’t contain his tears when he watched the Mavs tribute video for him. Luke is driving his life, but he never forgets the betrayal of Top Brass.
The player’s concentration could have been interrupted by such an emotional night, but Luka’s concentration could have been hampered as the 26-year-old scored 31 points against MAVS in the first half.
But Donsic didn’t stop there, finishing the night with 45 points, eight rebounds and six assists, helping the Lakers score a top six spots in the Western Conference.
Along the way, Donsic also etched his name in NBA history besides the legendary Wilt Chamberlain.
According to NBA analyst Rachel Nichols, Donsic has become the second player in NBA history to score at least 45 points against the same team during the season.
Donsic scored 45 points for the Mavericks in the matchup against the Golden State Warriors on December 15th, 2024. And, as we know, he scored 45 in the Lakers’ recent MAVS victory.
Previously, Chamberlain was the sole owner of the record for 60 years. Wilt achieved this feat during the 1964-65 season.
First, he scored 63 points against the Philadelphia 76ers while being a member of the San Francisco Warriors. After being traded with the 76ers, Chamberlain dropped 48 points in the Philadelphia game against the Cincinnati Royals.