Anthony Davis returned to the Crypto.com Arena for the first time since the trade, and the moment hit a little harder than expected for the NBA fans. When the game wrapped up, cameras caught him staring across at the Lakers’ bench, almost like he was taking in a place he never wanted to leave. Rui Hachimura walked over and gave him a long hug, and that small gesture set the tone for how fans reacted online.
One fan wrote, “people talking about luka being sad to not be on the mavs but no one talks about how much AD loved being a laker and misses them.”
Another added, “AD needed that. Rui is such a real one.”
A third said, “That n***a wanted to be a laker for life. He didn’t want to get traded. You gotta feel for him man.”
Rui Hachimura cheering up Anthony Davis after the game.
💔💔💔 (h/t @MrBuckBuckNBA) pic.twitter.com/M5OcIkfgLP
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) November 29, 2025
Davis was sent to Dallas in the massive deal that brought Luka Doncic to Los Angeles, and things haven’t exactly gone smoothly for him since. Injuries have limited him to only 15 games, and the Mavericks are still searching for consistency. Now that he’s healthy enough to play, he’ll try to help Dallas climb back into the mix — unless he eventually decides another fresh start is what’s best for him.
NBA fans show love after Lakers’ tribute to Anthony Davis
Before tip-off, the Lakers rolled out a tribute video that walked through Davis’ time in purple and gold, leaning on the promise he made when he first arrived:
“When I got traded here, my goal was to bring a championship here.”
This Anthony Davis tribute after he got traded… still gives me chills 🥺
“When I got traded here, my goal was to bring a championship here 🏆” pic.twitter.com/zzNs44T1YF
— HoodiDavis (@HoodiDavis) November 28, 2025
The arena showed him love, and Davis didn’t hide how much the moment meant. He looked right at home, even in a Mavs jersey.
Fans were all in their feelings afterward.
One commenter wrote, “A Laker for life in my eyes.”
Another said, “Miss AD every day man.”
A third added, “It will forever hurt me that AD was traded!!!!”
Since the deal, the Lakers have fully leaned into Luka’s superstar run, while Davis has battled one setback after another. Still, in his first game back against his former team, he put together 12 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks in 28 minutes — a reminder that when he’s on the floor, he still changes the game.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
