Not even a year after reaching the NBA finals, a fans base is mourning after losing one of his best players in an exchange of great success.
A small meeting of fans of the Dallas Mavericks was seen outside the American Airlines Center on Sunday afternoon holding a false funeral to protest the decision of the team to move the star shipowner Luka Doncic to Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.
A group of fans even brought an empty coffin to the adventure, dressed in costumes to serve as carriers, since they mean what they believe is the death of the franchise.
Multiple fans left signs, t -shirts and other memories, either in a sign of remembering the good times they had with Doncic, or to indicate that they were renouncing their team's fandom forever.
Trade has been widely criticized by Mavericks fans, who believe that their future lied in the hands of the 25 -year Slovenian guard.
It is a movement that surprised many fans, journalists, team owners, team executives and even players, since trade seemed to materialize from nothing.
Mavericks fans pass the sand with a coffin in protest of a recent exchange that the team made on Sunday
The Mavericks Guard treated Luka Doncic (77) to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis (3)
Most Mavericks fans have angered this exchange made by the franchise
The 'funeral' was held at the base of the Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki legend, the man who Donc had been used for a long time to replace.
A Lakers fan arrived with a LeBron James shirt. It is not entirely clear what reception he received.
Some of the signs included words like “This is worse than a break”, “The worst trade in the history of the NBA Dallas (hearts) Luka” and “Nico is a fraud.”
The last sign is a specifically specific criticism of the General Manager of the Mavericks, Nico Harrison, who seemed to execute a point in trade. The partial property Mark Cuban, which for a long time had influenced basketball decisions, said it had nothing to do with the trade.
The reports indicated that Doncic was not interested in forcing his departure to the Mavericks, but Harrison was motivated to make a change.
“I think the defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN about his motivation to exchange Doncic for Davis.
'I think that obtaining a defense center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mentality gives us a better opportunity. We are built to win now and in the future.
On Sunday night, Doncic issued a statement that addresses trade to its social media accounts.
A fan of the Los Angeles Lakers is in a funeral drill of Luka Doncic Mavericks's career
Only some of the signs that remain outside the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sunday
A fan of the Dallas Mavericks leaves a shirt at the base of the Mavs Dirk Nowitzki legend
I said, in part, 'I thought about spending my career here and I wanted me to bring you a championship. The love and support that everyone has given me is more than I could have dreamed.
After launching that statement to the fans of the Mavericks, Doncic then cited tweeted the official announcement of the Lakers saying that it joined its franchise.
Grateful for this incredible opportunity. Basketball means everything to me, and it doesn't matter where I play, I will do it with the same joy, passion and objective, to win championships, “said his tweet.
Dallas now has a more balanced list on his back track. Instead of having to try to solve a structure to give Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson, they can now lead Irving and Thompson with Davis, one of the best men in the League.
But angels now get the benefit of having a long -term strategy with Doncic.
As LeBron James ages, the Slovenian star can make the transition without problems to become the face of the franchise.
Before becoming the GM of the Mavericks in 2021, Harrison was an executive for a long time in Nike. There, he won notoriety to die a presentation trying to convince Stephen Curry to sign again with the brand. Curry ended up signing with Under Armor.
In their first game after the exchange, the Mavericks were destroyed by the Cleveland Cavaliers, losing 144-101.