Luka Doncic Discussion: Lean Mean Slovenian Machine

Here @audiosway …. The Athletic just put out this article directly about you …. and Dallas Luka fans like you.

Luka Dončić has left Dallas, but his Lakers ‘77’ is seen in and around the city

Christian Clark
April 8, 2025 4:00 am PDT
The morning after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić, fans gathered outside American Airlines Center to protest the move.

They brought signs declaring their Mavericks fandom dead and laid flowers near the statue of franchise icon Dirk Nowitzki. A few fans even held a mock funeral, carrying a coffin to the south plaza as Wiz Khalifa’s “See You Again” played in the background.



In the two-plus months since the trade, fan protests have come in many forms. Some Mavericks fans have chosen to don purple and gold Los Angeles Lakers gear inside American Airlines Center, an act that would have been unthinkable before Feb. 1.

At the Mavericks’ most recent home game on April 2, The Athletic spotted six Mavericks fans in the lower bowl who were wearing Dončić’s No. 77 Lakers jersey. Ahead of Dončić’s return to Dallas on Wednesday, The Athletic asked these fans how they’ve processed the Mavericks’ decision to trade a player Dallas fans had developed a deep connection with and who, only eight months before he was moved, led the Mavericks to an NBA Finals run.



Here’s what they said:

Helina Hailu, 24 years old, model
“I remember exactly where I was. I was sitting on my bed. It was 11 at night. For some reason, I couldn’t sleep that night. I checked my phone. It showed the Shams (Charania) tweet. I was like, ‘No.’ My phone was blowing up. No one believed it. I don’t think I went to sleep that night. I was up until the next morning. I still don’t believe it two months later. It’s so sad.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I had to get a Luka Lakers jersey because I’m going to forever support him. He did a lot for us, the franchise. He didn’t deserve what happened to him. He will forever have my support.”

Kelly Blair, 41, education technology designer
“We were season-ticket holders but are not season-ticket holders anymore because of the way they handled the trade. It just felt like dirty business. I think (Dončić) handled himself really well. He stayed above board at all times. He’s gone. All he did was play really good basketball.”


Kelly Blair and her husband, Jacob, are among the many Mavericks fans still supporting Luka Dončić, who has been with the Lakers since February. (Photo courtesy of Kelly Blair)
Chancellor Rose, 29, sales
“I was pretty upset. I thought it was not real. I thought someone was messing with me. It is what it is, I guess. I went through the seven stages of grief. I had to pull up the grief chart and figure out where I was. I’m through it now.

“I’ll still be a Mavs fan, but now I’m also more of a Lakers fan. I’m going to keep following Luka. I’ve got to support my player. It’s like a subtle protest. I’m not going to protest outside the stadium. But show support for the guy I like.”

Brett Price, 30, marketing
“I’ve been a Mavs fan for a long time. Honestly, I was mad for a while. I was a Dirk fan forever. I’m a big franchise player guy. I don’t even follow sports too much, but I would always come to a game and watch Dirk all the time. Everyone followed him. In college, that was our thing.

“We liked to go out and watch Luka play. It stinks. I don’t want to throw hate and shade at everyone who made the decision. I know it was a business move. I don’t hate they made the trade, but I’m bummed. I’m bummed as a Mavericks fan … but I want to support Luka.”

Jake Kemp, 39, talk show host
“I don’t know that there’s going to be a moment where it’s over and it’s processed and there’s closure. Maybe April 9 will help a little bit. I’m sad about it. I’m sad about it as a sports fan. I’m sad about it, as silly as this sounds, as a father. I have two young kids. I didn’t plan on forcing sports on them by any means, but if it’s something they have an interest in, it’s something I’d like to share with them. If you have a generational, exciting NBA player in your backyard, it certainly makes it a lot easier to get into sports. I think it sucks for the city, and it’s a very unfortunate series of events.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Watching (Dončić) play basketball brings me joy. It brings other people joy. I like the feeling when I watch him play. The fact that his bosses decided they no longer wanted to work with him — I think this is a unique situation. Following the player is not only acceptable. It’s logical.

“I grew up hating the Lakers like every Mavericks fan did. But I won’t forget the feeling — and, unfortunately, I had the feeling — when I had the purple and gold on. You look in the mirror and you’re like, ‘Oh my God. This is a cool jersey.’ ”

(Top photo: Adam Hagy / NBAE via Getty Images)

 

“I grew up hating the Lakers like every Mavericks fan did. But I won’t forget the feeling — and, unfortunately, I had the feeling — when I had the purple and gold on. You look in the mirror and you’re like, ‘Oh my God. This is a cool jersey.’ ”

 

Luka’s going to cry when the fans stand on their feet for the 1-2 minute standing O. This guy … maybe @abeer3 can explain it what he’s going to have to do mentally to balance out and get it done somehow ripping the FO’s throat out (assuming AD doesn’t turn that around on Lakers ) …. but in doing that he’s only going to amplify his fans in Dallas’s grief.

 

I'm probably ignorant, but why would Mavs fans grow up hating the Lakers? I know everyone at least kind of does, but do they have a specific beef with us?

 

not really. just standard lakers hatred. i guess the lakers beat them in the conference finals once --i remember this because we had recently moved to dallas, and my dad was rooting for the mavs, and i was like...wtf, man...

but yeah, i don't think there's anything really special about it. it's kind of ironic, as the cowboys are kind of the lakers of the nfl, right (in terms of brand recognition and widespread fandom)? you'd think the fanbase would have a little more sympathy for the lakers/lakers fandom. i know i have more sympathy for yankees and cowboys fans as a result of being a lakers fan.

that a lot of mavs fans followed luka doesn't surprise me at all, though, as the city really only embraced the mavs after dirk's ascendance, and the franchise would have faded back into the woodwork had they not drafted luka. now, it's going back and fans will adopt other teams. why not the one that has your favorite player?

 

I never hated Dirk ,Kidd or Peja Stoyakovich even when they basically begin Lakers rebuild .It was cool team with Barea and Chandler.
Only one player I didn't like was Terry .
And I actually hated LeBron at this time when they played in finals lol.
But I hated Cuban when he and some other cancelled CP3 trade
Lakers hatred is ridiculous

 

I guess the best comp is peak Harden, but the way Luka scores is so unusual. Is there another guy whose offensive game was based on being slow and deliberate to get to spot to put up step backs and floaters?

 

Everyone hates the Lakers that isn’t a Lakers fan just the way it is.

They’re pretty much the Cowboys of the NBA in terms of popularity except way more successful.

 

This is beautiful. I couldn't have said it better myself.

 

A lot of it had to do with the WCF in 88. Then, it got worse during the Kobe era. They just knew every time they saw the Lakers in the playoffs or elsewhere it was over. They weren't beating Kobe. That's the reason why you don't see the hatred as much anymore. The 2011 team cured that when they swept the Lakers in the playoffs.

I can honestly say I don't care about any of that anymore. It took this for me to switch but I'm all on board now.

 

Yeah well same as Andre Miller "no likey-ed" Blake Griffin .... Andrew Bynum really no likey-ed JJ Barea.

 

Thanks, the bolded is definitely it for one generation of fans. The Kobe era resentment is a little odd to me, though, because we never played the Mavs in the playoffs in the 2000s. Which is pretty remarkable, since both teams were in the playoffs pretty much that whole decade. We got a lot of Lakers/Spurs and Spurs/Mavs, but never Lakers/Mavs until 2011.

 

Yes I remember that fight and everything what was after that,Bynum almost ended his career ,but it's just frustration from championship to being swept.Barrea never been dirty player, like Brooks for example

 

or Griffin. For those too young to remember or have forgotten:

 

No calls, just the way it's supposed to be (maybe not the last push) but it was waranted

 

There are a number of reasons, as many have articulated here. But I once asked this of a friend who was the Denver Post's beat writer for the Nuggets for a few years. He invited me to a DEN/GS back in 2007 I think and when the Lakers were mentioned (I don't remember why they came up, maybe as an answer to a trivia question on the jumbotron or something) the entire arena booed. And I asked my friend why Denver fans hate the Lakers so much. We're not rivals, we hadn't seen them in the playoffs in a while, like . . . who cares? And he said it's because every time the Lakers come to town, half their arena is filled with gold jerseys and it p****** off all the Nuggets fans. And that's true for every other arena in the league. No other team has that effect. Only the Lakers.

 

^^^ yeah Mavs ownership has a growing problem on their hands with this new Lakers 77 Luka jersey protest gathering steam. It would be the worst look in the world to not allow it but that's going to be thrown in their face forever as long as Luka's in the league now.

 

always thought it was interesting how the lakers only played the mavs once in the playoffs during kobe's career despite both teams being playoff mainstays

the hate comes from the fact that the lakers are one of the most successful and iconic pro sports franchises. same reason why teams like the yankees and patriots get a lot of hate

 

I see that on my Canadian NBA feed