Doncic Gifts Rookie Game Ball

Luka Dončić left the court with a game ball in hand after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Atlanta Hawks 124 to 114 on Monday night. The superstar tracked down a referee during post-game handshakes to secure the souvenir. He intended to give the item to rookie Cameron Carr.

Carr had just scored the first points of his professional basketball career. The young player received seven minutes of playing time on the second night of a back-to-back schedule. He was inserted into the lineup because Austin Reaves was sidelined. Reaves had scored 43 points in the previous game against Detroit on Sunday.

Carr’s milestone arrival came on a breakaway dunk at the end of the first quarter. Dončić provided the assist for that basket. The senior player had already filled the stat line before that moment. His decision to keep the game ball went beyond the standard box score entries.

Dončić finished the contest with 32 points, 10 assists, eight rebounds, five steals and two blocks. This performance marked his fifth career game with at least 30 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. Only ten players in NBA history have recorded multiple games with that specific statistical combination.

The victory improved the Lakers to a 10-2 record. That is the best start for the franchise since the 2019-20 season. During that campaign, the team won its 17th NBA championship.