Luka Doncic recorded his first assist as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers, but that didn’t come to the basketball court.
Doncic has yet to make his Lakers debut on Monday evening, but he has already influenced the community well beyond hardwoods.
Before wearing the iconic purple and gold on his coat, the five-time All-NBA point guard stepped up for his new city, still upset from the devastation.
Doncic, who was bought by the Lakers on February 1 for a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks, announced on Monday morning that his foundation was donating $500,000 to wildfire relief efforts.
Doncic made an announcement in an Instagram post for the Luka Doncic Foundation, which he read.
“A month after the fire, many families are still rebuilding their lives. Today, the Luka Doncic Foundation is committed to $500,000 to an immediate fire recovery effort, and in collaboration with local organizations, Helps rebuild play spaces that have been destroyed by fire.
We are committed to helping children in affected communities return to playing and being children.
#lawildfires #lastrong”
The donation was made through the Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund. This provides immediate relief while also funding long-term projects to restore playgrounds, fields and courts lost to the flames.
After seeing what was devastated in the Palisade and Altadena communities in the Pacific Ocean, Doncic wanted to help his new city rebuild as quickly as possible, as soon as possible.
Doncic doesn’t just give back. A month ago, the Los Angeles sports community came together and the teams collectively donated $8 million to Wildfire Relief. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, a Southern California resident since 2018, has also pledged $500,000. Freddie Freeman has donated $300,000. Chris Taylor’s CT3 Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign that matches donations of up to $5,000.
And then there are Steve Ballmer, owner of the Clippers, and his wife Connie. Connie warned all of her $15 million commitments and specifically directed her assistance to Atadena. Fireaid’s benefits concert at the Intuit Dome and Kia Forum, owned by Ballmer, only strengthened the city’s united front in helping those affected.
Doncic’s donation hit the chords well beyond many comments on his Instagram post.
“That’s why Dallas loves him so much because he has a real heart. One fan wrote.
“This is the real reason why Dallas is so sad that they lose Luka. Well beyond the courts, it was 177% about culture and community,” another added.
But now, Los Angeles can experience the same generosity firsthand. In a city that has embraced more superstars than life for generations, Donsic has already proven his influence is as profound in court as it lies.
According to their website, the mission of the Luka Doncic Foundation is to help young people discover their potential through support of sports, play spaces and wellness. The foundation was released in December 2024 and has released a detailed report on the status of youth basketball in the United States and Europe.
The foundation will give large additional funds over the next two years to allow children who have lost their play space (what Luka calls his “peaceful place”) to return to the playground, field or court. We plan to help you do this. As much as possible for their mental and physical well-being.
The Foundation believes play space is a critical infrastructure. It is essential to help children find joy when they need it most.
The Foundation is actively exploring how best to make these efforts, along with many incredible organizations working to help rebuild Los Angeles.
With the Doncics set to make their Lakers debut with the Utah Jazz at crypto.com arena on Monday night, Los Angeles fans have said that even before he scored a single point in purple and gold, he was already in the process of making his Lakers debut with the Utah Jazz. You’ll know that you’re delivering the first one. A surefire of the most important community.
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