This will be his 15th game as a Maverick, 6th this season, and the 1st time he’s seeing the Lakers since that February trade to Dallas, you know, the same deal that had former GM Nico Harrison sprinting to his bio to type the saddest one-word update in NBA front-office history: “unemployed.” Yes, we are talking about Anthony Davis.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported earlier with a headline Mavericks fans have been begging to hear: Anthony Davis is finally back. But if you ask Lakers fans, they might have been even happier. After sitting out a full month with a stubborn calf strain, the Dallas big man is set to suit up tonight in Los Angeles and his return just happens to come against the team he once carried to a championship. 

Coincidence? Maybe. Conscious decision? Absolutely.

“You know which game I want to play,” AD said when asked whether he’d prefer returning Friday against the Lakers or Saturday against the Clippers.

Davis hasn’t touched the floor since October 29, when he suffered a left calf strain in a 107–105 win over the Pacers. The updates since then read like a broken record: reevaluated on November 16, given another week to 10 days to heal, then reassessed… rinse, repeat. For a player who’s already spent much of his career battling injuries, it just added another chapter to the setbacks. 

Before going down, Davis was putting up solid numbers for the Mavericks this season, averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, shooting 52% from the field and 27.3% from deep. With him in the lineup, Dallas was a competitive 2–3, but in his absence, they’ve stumbled to 3–11, leaving the team at 5–14, tied for the second-worst record in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, Luka Doncic‘s Lakers are riding a five-game winning streak and sit at 13–4, full of confidence and momentum. Tonight, they welcome the Dallas Mavericks to Los Angeles for the final game of group play in the Emirates NBA Cup, with the chance to tighten their grip on the standings and keep their streak alive.

Forget the standings, forget the Emirates NBA Cup stakes. This one has drama, nostalgia, and just a little revenge energy baked in. And Lakers fans are absolutely living for it!

Nostalgia alert: Lakers fans react to AD’s return

One fan tweeted, “He helped us win a ring we’ll never forget.”

When Anthony Davis arrived in 2019, the Lakers instantly transformed from playoff misses to champions. Teaming up with LeBron James in his second season, Davis powered the duo to an unforgettable title. He averaged 27.7 points over the postseason, including a buzzer-beater against the Nuggets in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. 

Another fan anticipated, “AD and Luka revenge games? 👀.”

These two stars have traded stops on each other’s teams, with the Lakers moving on, building long-term plans around Luka, while Dallas still mourns losing their superstar. Tonight, though, it’s a chance for ultimate redemption, especially for AD. His quest for sweet revenge was delayed by a left adductor strain suffered during his debut against Houston, keeping him from facing the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena last season. Now, the stage is set for a long-awaited showdown.

One fan predicted, “Welcome home Anthony Davis, you’ll be a laker soon ❤️”

The buzz isn’t just online chatter, whispers are growing louder that Dallas might finally be ready to part ways with AD. Injuries have kept him off the floor far too often, and the franchise still hasn’t seen what they hoped for. With just over two months until the NBA trade deadline, all signs point to a possible Mavericks move. Even though Mark Cuban insists Dallas doesn’t want to trade him, fans are itching to see the Irving–Flagg duo in action, and we know that the Dallas fans can be persistent. 

Another fan commented, “Seeing Anthony Davis back home but heading to the visitors locker room doesn’t feel right 😔”

AD is suiting up with that Dallas jersey and the Mavericks (5–14) head to L.A. Friday for a tough matchup. Their offense has been a nightmare, posting the league’s worst rating at 105.0, while their defense surprisingly ranks third-best at 110.3. With Anthony Davis back, Dallas hopes to find some rhythm, but putting points on the board consistently remains a huge challenge

Another one tweeted, “Like AD but not rooting for him tonight.”

No matter the nostalgia, Lakers fans aren’t letting it overshadow their loyalty, they’re still cheering for the yellow and purple with full force. Adding to their boost, starting center Deandre Ayton is set to return from a right calf contusion that sidelined him during Tuesday’s 135–118 win over the Clippers, when Jaxson Hayes stepped in admirably. With Ayton back, head coach JJ Redick can roll out his preferred starting lineup once again.