LOS ANGELES — Luka Doncic was the last starter introduced by the Los Angeles Lakers, an honor normally reserved for LeBron James. When Doncic jogged into the spotlight on a darkened court through a cordon of his new teammates, his new fans stood and roared while wearing thousands of gold T-shirts with his name and number.

Guard Luka Doncic made his highly anticipated debut with the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in a home game against the Utah Jazz. The stage was properly set for Doncic, with his former teammate and fellow Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki in attendance, and fans all across the stadium donning his jersey to cheer him on.

Luka Doncic now has something to prove, though. The Dallas Mavericks do not trust his durability or conditioning. While a matchup against the lowly Jazz is not likely to accomplish much from an optics standpoint, he can still send a small message that his body is in working order by carving up the defense.