As Luka gets ready to return to the Mavericks, it has us thinking: Where does this rank among hometown favorites returning to play in front of their fans?
DALLAS — Luka Doncic is back in Dallas where he belongs, just wearing the wrong jersey.
As he gets ready to face the Mavericks — tipoff is at 6:30 p.m. on WFAA — his return had us asking: Where does this rank among all-time hometown favorites returning to play in front of their former fans?
It’s got to be one of the biggest homecomings ever… Right?
The face of the franchise, a fan favorite, traded inexplicably in his prime right in the middle of the season? We still can’t believe it happened.
Here are some other notable returns over the years — not limited to North Texas, but across all of sports:
Emmitt Smith returns to play the Cowboys
Certainly, Cowboys fans remember Emmitt Smith’s first game back after Dallas released him in 2003
The fans gave him a very warm welcome, but the Cowboys’ defense didn’t – swarming him for a loss on his first carry. In fact, he went six carries for negative 1 yard on the day.
Wayne Gretzky, after being traded to the L.A. Kings
Wayne Gretzky, after being traded from Edmonton to the L.A. Kings in 1988, was back in front of the city where he sharpened his skates.
He was welcomed back with a standing ovation from the home crowd. Gretzky and the Kings lost the game – but won the night.
Peyton Manning returns to Indianapolis
It’s still hard to believe the Colts released Peyton Manning, a feeling now familiar to MFFLs, so the fans were quick to welcome him back in 2013.
Maybe a year apart did them well? Of course, Manning won a Super Bowl with Indy and one with the Broncos, as well. But he didn’t win this game, despite throwing for 365 yards and 3 touchdowns. He put on one more show for the fans.
Tom Brady returns to New England as a Buccaneer
Patriots fans showed up an hour before game time just to watch Tom Brady warm up.
There may not be a player more revered by fans than Brady in Boston, so it’s no surprise that his first game back with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was so well-received. Of course… He won the game, too.
Not all homecomings are happy…
Cleveland fans were *not* happy when Lebron James took his talents to South Beach.
They even had Star Wars’ Imperial Death March playing when he was introduced. Lebron was a villain in Cleveland, where he’d been a literal hometown hero.
Growing up just half an hour south of Cleveland, so they had the boos ready when he came home for his first game with the Miami Heat in December 2010. Yet, just four short years later, all was forgiven.
So what will tonight bring? Will Luka drop 70 on the Mavericks? Will Dallas fans cheer on a Los Angeles victory? Will Fire Nico chants ring all night long? Tune in tonight to see and watch our pregame party on WFAA+ starting at 5:30 p.m. to prep for what’s bound to be an emotional return.