The Dallas Mavericks fans (or Luka Doncic fans?) knew what they would see on April 9. Still, it hit hard when the moment actually came- Luka in a Purple and gold #77 instead of their familiar blue and white, that too on their home arena, the American Airlines Center. That seemed to reignite the pain of what they had lost. It reached its tipping point when the jumbotron showed their beloved superstar with his eyes swelled up and lips quivering during the tribute video. That pain quickly turned into anger, and the initial “Luka! Luka!” chants changed to something that Dallas never stopped uttering since Luka left for LA- “Fire Nico!” And it started as early as it could have been.

Just 4 seconds into the game, the first round of the chants asking for firing the Mavs GM Nico Harrison broke out during a dead ball. This continued in regular intervals throughout the game. It went even louder after Luka checked out of the game one last time amid a standing ovation, with 1:34 left. While it is debatable if the fans were overdoing it, their anger was palpable. So, the security of the arena was reportedly beefed up to counter any unwanted incident. It is widely known that Nico Harrison received death threats following the trade, and if reports are to be believed, the league itself got involved in the security measures in Luka’s comeback game.

Nick Angstadt and Isaac Harris of Locked On Mavericks broke down AAC’s unique atmosphere, in terms of security, during the game. “He [Luka Doncic] always comes out around the 60-minute mark. You saw—you started seeing—everybody prepping, right? And you saw security,” Isaac Harris stated. “I also heard tonight—can’t confirm it, can’t confirm it—but I did hear that the NBA head of security was here tonight, Leon Newsome.” 

He added, “But it’s like you start seeing the security. They’re like huddling up, talking. This is during warm-ups—you never see this, right? And they start stationing security around the court. Just the half-court where Luka is about to warm up.” So, it looks like the security for that particular game night was a bit too alert, as the NBA Commissioner Adam Silver apparently took steps to make sure not just Nico Harrison and Luka but every attendee, player, guest, and fan were safe.

Meanwhile, Isaac Harris further added, “Luka comes out. It’s so weird. You know Pelinka’s there. This was one of the most telling things, too. In our home arena—I mean, the Lakers- the Lakers brass was just strutting around.” Rob Pelinka was wearing something LA, and Doncic was in the typical Los Angeles Lakers’ pre-game apparel.  Notably, back in February, Silver had stood by Harrison and the Mavs owner while talking about his stance on the trade.

“In terms of anger in the fanbase, I’m empathetic… Also, I’ve said this, I like Luka very much…It seems truly authentic that he was stunned and disappointed…Having said all that, I also am sympathetic to the Mavericks organization. I’ve known Nico Harrison a long time from his prior tenure at Nike and I’ve gotten to be close to Patrick Dumont. Whether or not history will ultimately judge this as a smart trade, they did what they thought was in the best interest of their organization,” Silver had said. But where was the man in the center of the storm while this entire saga was unfolding at AAC on Wednesday?

Harrison, who has not faced the media since briefly speaking about it in Cleveland after the trade, stood in a midcourt tunnel during the game and remained expressionless during the chants. Meanwhile, the players tried to remain focused amid the chants and the overwhelming cheers for Luka. Mavs power forward Anthony Davis, the other part of the trade, was blunt in his response: “No comment. I’m not talking about that.” Some others were a little more open about it.

“It was tough because they was doing it when they were shooting free throws and they did it when we were shooting free throws…I was really focused on just tuning it out really,” center Daniel Gafford told ESPN. Head coach Jason Kidd tried to be practical about the situation.

“Understanding emotion and all the attention on this game, this game is over. There’s nothing we can do. He’s not coming back as a Mav. He’s with the Lakers, so we have to move forward and that’s what we’ve done,” Kidd said. Notably, after the game, Luka also said, “It’s time to move on.” But Dallas is in no mood to do it anytime soon. And they are finding new ways to let that know. Look at this.

New ad film taunts Mavs authorities over the Luka Doncic trade

Seizing the moment during Luka’s much-anticipated homecoming, Dallas-based Home Zone Furniture took a playful jab at the Mavs authorities. In a clever twist, they ran a series of commercials during the Lakers game. Instead of showcasing their best deals, they “traded away” a fan-favorite sofa. The ad poked fun at the Mavs’ own tough roster decisions.

The commercial even portrayed a scene where their customers held placards and chanted slogans outside the company’s headquarters. This is undoubtedly a direct representation of the angry Dallas Mavericks fans who protested on the streets of the city and outside the Mavericks’ HQ and the AAC after Luka Doncic’s trade.

So, Luka came home—but not really. The jersey was different, the vibe was tense, and security was on edge. Luka’s return came wrapped in tension amid Western ‘disturbances’. If he keeps balling like a man on a mission, the road to the championship might just detour through his new domain, where old ties meet new ambitions under playoff lights. For now, from traded sofas to guarded warm-ups, Dallas turned into a drama set. Fans chanted, brands roasted, and the Luka saga rolled on—Texas style.