Dončić’s Emotional Return to Dallas: A Night of Cheers and Protests
DALLAS — The atmosphere outside the American Airlines Center was electric, buzzing with anticipation and a touch of nostalgia. Two and a half hours before the game, fans gathered, eyes peeled for a glimpse of the man who once was the heart of their team. “There’s Luka!” a fan exclaimed, pointing towards Dirk Nowitzki Way as a sleek vehicle approached. Whether it was him or not, the excitement was palpable, and a few fans sprinted towards a customized, black Apocalypse HellFire Jeep, hoping it carried their beloved star.
The Los Angeles Lakers were in town for the first time since the shocking trade on February 1 that sent Luka Dončić away from the Dallas Mavericks. The aftershocks of losing their cherished franchise player were felt throughout the night as Dončić, with a stellar 45-point performance, led the Lakers to a 112-97 victory over his former team.
Before the game, Rizzy N’Kele stood on the street in a Nowitzki jersey, holding a white poster addressed to Dončić that read, “Thanks For The Memories.” The poster, adorned with three large photos of Dončić, was placed on two plastic folding tables. Fans stopped by to leave messages, and N’Kele mentioned that a contact would ensure the poster reached Dončić.
“For the rest of Luka’s career, this is still going to be a home game to him,” N’Kele expressed. “Because I feel like we’re going to be cheering for him when we should be cheering for the Mavs.”
N’Kele had two rules for the poster: no signing on Dončić’s photos and no “Fire Nico” messages. He wanted the poster to be a positive gift from the city, despite the ongoing anger towards Mavs general manager Nico Harrison, the architect of the Dončić trade.
Within twenty minutes, the poster was filled with messages. N’Kele rolled it up, packed his tables, and headed inside.
Meanwhile, in another part of Dallas, street artists Juan Velazquez and Armando Aguirre were putting the final touches on a mural that captured their feelings about Harrison’s perplexing trade explanation and the ongoing backlash against the Mavs organization.
The mural’s theme was clear: “Fire Nico.” Velazquez was inspired by a TikTok photo posted shortly after the trade, featuring Chris Taylor, a Mavericks superfan, who had covered the Mavs logo on his hat with duct tape, replacing it with the anti-Harrison message that quickly became a rallying cry across Dallas.
Velazquez raised $1,000 for materials and labor, using 40 different shades of yellow, blue, and gray spray paint to recreate Taylor’s hat against a yellow backdrop.
“It’s an iconic piece,” Taylor said, admiring the mural. “And I think it will be, I think it will be received that way. I think it’s going to get a lot of love and a lot of attention.”
Taylor and his friend, Garrett Bussey, had fueled the anti-Harrison fervor by getting ejected from a February game after arguing about the trade with Mavericks limited partner Mark Cuban.
Despite leading the “Fire Nico” chant at Mavs games over the past two months, including once directly to Harrison, Taylor wanted to avoid any spectacle on Wednesday night. He and Bussey saw Dončić’s return as a celebration instead.
However, if others started chanting, Taylor said he would gladly join in.
Just four seconds into the game, “Fire Nico” chants echoed through the American Airlines Center, growing louder as the game progressed.
Fans Show Their Support
- Fans wore various versions of Dončić’s jersey, including Lakers’ and Mavericks’ No. 77s, his Slovenian national team jersey, and even some Real Madrid gear.
- Supporters traveled from London, South Korea, and Thailand for his homecoming.
- Robert Mohoric, one of six Slovenian fans, said they spent 10,000 euros, or about $11,000, to fly to Dallas for the event.
Two fans had painted Slovenian flags on their faces and displayed a large flag from their country.
Brian Goldsmith, who holds the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon time in full football gear, wanted to honor Dončić’s return. He ran 77 laps around the American Airlines Center wearing a replica of Dončić’s uniform, including a pair of Luka 2 sneakers he bought at a discount store. Goldsmith ran nearly 25 miles, even though the Luka 2s started hurting his feet midway through.
Two fans from Pennsylvania joined him for eight laps, as did staffers from Chop Sports Victory Park, his run’s home base.
Chop Sports is home to the $7.77 Long Live Luka shot, now a permanent menu item. The restaurant offered a special Luka-based menu, including four Luka-themed drinks and three food items, all priced at $7.77, with 77% of proceeds going to Dončić’s foundation. On Wednesday, the bar sold 131 shots and raised $2,000.
“Whether you’re a Laker fan or a Mavericks fan, you love Luka,” Goldsmith said. “The foundation helps everybody, and that’s why I thought I would run. That was the mission, to bring some positivity to the area.”
Despite the positivity, the big questions of the evening were: Would protests be allowed? How would the crowd react?
Inside the American Airlines Center, each seat carried a white T-shirt reading “Hvala za vse” — “Thank you for everything” in Dončić’s native language.
A nervous energy coursed through the arena. One by one, the visiting players were introduced, but Dončić was saved for last. A 2½-minute tribute followed, encapsulating the Slovenian star’s career, followed by deafening, sustained cheers. Dončić broke down in tears.
“Even if I didn’t see Luka get emotional, I would have gotten emotional,” said season-ticket holder Henry Neely. “Absolutely. Seeing him shed tears was great and emotional at the same time.”
At various moments during the game, fans chanted “MVP” when Dončić was at the free throw line. He received a standing ovation when he exited with 1:37 left on the clock. After the game, N’Kele told ESPN that Dončić saw the banner with the fans’ messages after N’Kele had asked Lakers security to pass it along to him.
Protests and Reactions
At the height of anti-Harrison fervor in February, Jake Reedy created a blue T-shirt with the general manager’s face decorated with a red clown nose. He sneaked it into the arena on February 13 and handed out extras to others.
Back then, he wasn’t sure if he’d be ejected or not. He wasn’t, and it sparked another idea to sell the shirts and fill the arena on Wednesday with the same images, driving home the point that fan disdain for Harrison hasn’t diminished.
On Wednesday, Reedy displayed his shirt sale outside the arena, but police asked him to move. Having sold about 500 shirts since February, Reedy plans to donate a portion of proceeds to Dončić’s foundation.
A flatbed truck drove by with a large sign that read: “FIRE NICO SELL THE TEAM.” More crowd chants followed.
Walker Duke, ejected in February for an anti-Harrison protest, showed up Wednesday night wearing a T-shirt depicting him and his friend holding up a “Fire Nico” sign. He put another T-shirt over it before entering the arena.
Did the protests make a difference?
“I did everything that I could do as a casual fan,” Reedy said. “I made a message. I donated to a good cause and they changed their policies … At the end of the day, our voices were heard.”
Fans hoped the homecoming would bring some closure for a still-grieving city. Even Dončić said that “it’s a hard question” whether he received closure Wednesday.
N’Kele said he remains a Mavs fan despite the heartbreak. “I will say this: Jerry Jones ain’t never hurt me the way Nico did. That’s saying a lot.”
Luis Ellis, a former season-ticket holder, described this as a moment of catharsis, a time to “let Luka feel the love” and letting him know “that the town wasn’t the one that, you know, betrayed you. It was the front office.”
The Mavericks clinched a play-in postseason berth, but in the post-Dončić era, hope has given way to ambivalence. Some season-ticket holders continue to contemplate whether to renew.
Two months ago, Taylor said, he was thinking of keeping his seats but recently decided to give them up.
“It’s possible that I’d go to the game on Friday against Toronto,” Taylor said. “But there’s actually a good chance I’ll never be at a Mavs game again after this.”
Originally Written by: Michael Rothstein
