On Friday, the Dallas Mavericks released a new hype video on their YouTube channel to energize fans for the second half of the 2024-25 season. Rather than excitement, the video sparked controversy as various outlets accused the organization of obscuring former Mavericks star Luka Dončić’s presence throughout. Featured prominently were Mavericks players like Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Klay Thompson, accompanied by a voiceover from local hip-hop artist Dorrough.
However, the decision to blur players on three occasions (0:59, 1:14, and 1:52) and cover them with Mavericks logos fueled speculation that the team deliberately aimed to hide Dončić from viewers. Multiple outlets, including Yahoo Sports and Dime, quickly adopted this narrative, asserting that the Mavericks were attempting to erase any sight of their former player.
The Mavs’ new hype video hilariously tries to cover up any images of Luka Doncic https://t.co/KspGozbcby
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) February 21, 2025
The Mavericks censor Luka Dončić in a team-released video 👀😬
(via @dallasmavs) pic.twitter.com/H8e9PvwnAX
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 21, 2025
Given that the Mavericks chose to eject fans protesting the trade with the Lakers that involved Dončić, it’s tempting to assume the team blurred him out to help fans forget about the controversial deal. However, WFAA, an ABC affiliate in Dallas, conducted an investigative report and found that none of the blurred players were Dončić; in fact, among those blurred were Quentin Grimes and Maxi Kleber, both dealt at the trade deadline.
Moreover, Dončić appears unblurred in the background of a Kyrie Irving highlight just 47 seconds into the video, which contradicts the theory of a deliberate attempt to erase him. It’s possible the Mavericks’ video team thought the effect of blurred players added an aesthetic touch to the video or perhaps strategically blurred out those who were traded. Ultimately, it’s evident that Luka Dončić wasn’t the sole focus of the blurring, despite suggestions from outlets like Yahoo Sports and Dime.
