It's been a week since the stunning trade that sent Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. But Mavericks fans are far from over it; instead, they're taking to the streets.
Anthony Davis, who Dallas acquired as part of the trade, is set to make his Mavericks debut on Saturday afternoon. Ahead of the game, Mavericks fans are protesting outside Dallas' American Airlines Center, expressing their discontent over the trade.
Some signs carried by protestors are just about missing Dončić, considered the face of the franchise and a beloved figure in Dallas. But others directly called for Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who masterminded the trade, to be fired.
A video from ESPN's Tim MacMahon shows fans booing a cutout of Harrison with a red clown nose taped to it, and chanting "Nico sucks."
This video contains graphic language.
The scene outside the American Airlines Center: pic.twitter.com/nRbMVXrSkr
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 8, 2025
Fans also purchased digital billboards in Dallas to share their discontent with the trade. On one billboard, per WFAA: "He was supposed to have a statue." The billboard also references the now-ironic words on Dirk Nowitzki's statue outside American Airlines Center: "Loyalty never fades away."
LUKA BILLBOARDS: We found one of the digital billboards that have gone up in Dallas. #MFFL
— WFAA (@wfaa) February 8, 2025
STORY: https://t.co/mBDUPmATuM pic.twitter.com/Dhfm25JMtG
The group of protesting fans are also calling for the team to be sold. The Mavericks are owned by the family of Miriam Adelson, who run the Las Vegas Sands casino company; Patrick Dumont, Adelson's son-in-law, is the team governor and gave the final approval on the trade.
The GM defended the trade last weekend, saying that he "got ahead of what was going to be a tumultuous summer" by sending Dončić to the Lakers. But that explanation has gone unheard by Mavs fans. Harrison has been subject to death threats and racial epithets since the trade, and has had to beef up security in the Mavericks' arena.
Now, eyes will be turning to Davis, who will have to prove that he is worth everything that Dallas lost. Davis, who has been dealing with an abdominal injury, is officially available for Saturday's game.
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