Dallas built its team’s identity around Luka Doncic, on the court and off. Now that he’s gone, some supporters no longer feel a connection to the franchise.
When Matt Zerai heard that his favorite team, the Dallas Mavericks, had traded Luka Doncic, their 25-year-old superstar, to the Los Angeles Lakers over the weekend, he was devastated.
“It kind of did feel like I lost a family member,” Zerai said. “No one trades a franchise player in their prime like that. They want to make excuses about his conditioning and about him gaining weight. He literally took us to the finals last year.”
He and a few friends hatched a plan to host a funeral for the franchise. They ordered a coffin, blue like one of the Mavericks’ colors, and had it delivered overnight. They dressed in suits to strike a somber tone. They held a moment of silence in front of American Airlines Center, where the Mavericks play, and where others had gathered in protest.
Attendees shared their favorite memories of Doncic. Much of the ire was directed at Nico Harrison, the team’s general manager. One sign had the acronym M.F.F.L., which stands for Mavs Fan for Life, crossed out with red ink.
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Source: Basketball - nytimes.com
