The blockbuster trade sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis continues to reverberate across the NBA. Dallas Mavericks fans, still processing the deal, voiced their frustrations during the team’s first home game without the Slovenian superstar. Amid the uproar, team leader Kyrie Irving took a moment to reflect on the situation.
Fan protests erupted outside the arena before the game against the Sacramento Kings and spilled inside during the event. Security ejected two fans for “violating the NBA Code of Conduct”, according to a statement released by the Mavericks.
After the team’s loss to the Kings, Irving addressed the situation in a postgame press conference. He explained that fans were simply showcasing their passion for the Mavericks and demanding better from their team.
“I think it has graduated from hate to anger… and the passion,” Irving said. “You gotta give credit to Dallas fans, they’ve really cheered, not only for Luka but for the Mavericks, for some odd years. This is their community team”.
Dallas Mavericks fans prostest outside of the arena before the game against the Houston Rockets at American Airlines Center. (Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
Irving also drew a parallel to his own childhood experience as a fan, recalling his feelings when Jason Kidd left the Nets. “It’s just like I felt a way when the New Jersey Nets moved to Brooklyn,” he continued. “Even when J-Kidd was on the Nets and he got traded, I was mad at J-Kidd for a while as a young fan“.
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For Irving, protests are part of human nature
The 32-year-old guard elaborated that fan protests are a natural part of the human experience and highlighted the deeper connection people have to basketball beyond it being just a game.
“It’s just part of human nature and this journey in the NBA business… just the engagement we have with the fans. We have young fans, we have older fans who have been cheering for everybody,” Irving explained. “So you just gotta give everybody grace. To see emotions come out over basketball, it shows that basketball is not just a game to people, it’s a spiritual experience”.
Anthony Davis weighs in on the situation
Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the trade that sparked the controversy, also addressed the fans’ reactions during his introductory press conference. Davis acknowledged the emotional impact of losing Doncic but expressed empathy for Mavericks supporters.
“I understand it,” Davis said. “It’s a business, and I understand who Luka was to this franchise, to this city, and I’m never gonna downplay that—just like I know what I meant to the city of L.A”.
While Davis wasn’t surprised by the backlash, he vowed to win over Mavericks fans with his performance on the court. “I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction, but it’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do—to give the fans hope and reassurance on why [GM] Nico [Harrison] brought me here,” he added.
