Dallas Mavericks fans are livid over the shocking trade of Luka Dončić, and while that spells trouble for them, it has sparked some compelling coverage from local Dallas-Fort Worth media. The three-team deal that transferred Dončić from the Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis has sent shockwaves through the sports community. It’s been labeled one of the most astonishing trades in U.S. sports history; many initially thought the trade reports were a hoax.
As the reality of losing their star player set in among Mavericks fans, Dallas media quickly began capturing their anger and frustration. Fox 4 News interviewed a passionate fan wearing a Dončić jersey during a protest on Sunday, who expressed, “I’ve been a Mavs fan my entire life, since I was a baby. This is the worst moment in the history of my life. This is ridiculous. We went to the NBA Finals! Why are we trading the franchise player? He’s supposed to have a statue!” Fellow fans echoed his outrage, chanting, “Hell yeah!”
Continuing his criticism, the same fan stated, “This new management is putting profit over fans! They’re not worried about us. They don’t care.” Other fans also voiced their devastation, with one saying, “[The Mavs] could win every game the rest of the season and the championship, and it wouldn’t matter because all of the emotional value in that journey just got sucked away. It feels like someone close to you died. There’s lots of anger for sure.”
Dallas Mavericks fans upset about the @luka7doncic trade let out their frustrations at the AAC on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/WhrilpUE4M
— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) February 3, 2025
Jake Riepma of 105.3 The Fan captured video of fans chanting “Sell the team! Sell the team!” at a protest outside the American Airlines Center. The scene was electric as the crowd expressed their discontent.
Scene outside of American Airlines Center — Mavs Fans chanting “Sell-The-Team!” #Mffl #LukaTrade pic.twitter.com/rn0y02I61L
— Jake Riepma (@jake_riepma) February 2, 2025
WFAA ABC 8 showcased a Luka Dončić tribute that fans created during the protest at the American Airlines Center, reporting that arena workers dismantled the tribute overnight.
American Airlines Center staff tore down the Luka Doncic tribute early Monday morning, throwing away signs, flowers, and posters that fans left outside the arena. pic.twitter.com/jxj2f6Ny3y
— WFAA (@wfaa) February 3, 2025
Gradually, nearly every sports analyst has weighed in on the jaw-dropping trade that sent Dončić to the Lakers, with even the Grammy Awards offering jokes about it. Most commentators have criticized the Mavericks and general manager Nico Harrison; however, Charles Barkley suggested that the Mavericks “must know something we don’t” about Dončić. Regardless of the Mavs’ reasoning, the memories of this trade will linger for Mavericks fans.
“I hate everything about it … I’m done with the Mavs right now,” expressed a disillusioned fan to Fox 4 News.
