It was already known that Luka Doncic would get a golden opportunity to make the Dallas Mavericks suffer some more in the NBA Cup. The official date for that emotionally-fueled evening has been set.
Nov. 28 will mark the evening when the Los Angeles Lakers host Doncic's former team at Crypto.com Arena. The game is set for 7PM PT/10 PM ET, with Amazon Prime getting the chance to cover what will hopefully be a one-sided beatdown led by the Lakers superstar point guard.
For both teams, this will be their final game of NBA Cup action in the group stage. This could mean that matchup will have some heightened consequences for both teams, vying for that last vital edge in the standings of the in-season tournament.
The ideal circumstances, of course, would be having both the Lakers and Mavericks in a position to qualify for the knockout rounds with a victory. That would give Doncic a chance to wake up in the morning, come into work with a smile on his face, and enact yet another blow of sweet revenge.
Mavericks-Lakers rivalry will only continue to blossom
As long as Doncic is still donning purple and gold, the Mavericks will be circled on the NBA schedule as a rivalry game for the Lakers. That is especially true while Nico Harrison is the man in charge over in Dallas.
It is tough to completely forgive and forget a franchise discarding you under any circumstances. It is extra tough when that move was one that completely blindsided you. When the team then goes on a PR tour to call you out of shape and damaged goods, it then becomes extremely personal.
Luka's body transformation has been the talk of the town during the 2025 offseason. When Doncic played his first tune-up game for Slovenia ahead of EuroBasket 2025, a noticeably more exuberant version of the Lakers superstar was on display for those watching.
The 2025-26 season is poised to be Doncic's revenge tour. The expectations will certainly be set high. An MVP trophy, an NBA Finals trip, perhaps even an NBA Finals MVP are all going to be items on the wishlist for the generational superstar.
The cherry on top of that list will be twisting the knife on the Mavericks at every opportunity given. The NBA Cup will provide one of the best of those instances among next season's matchups.