Something’s up between NBA stars and Gatorade. It’s not just your imagination. Big names like Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson go out of their way to ditch the drink at press conferences—sometimes with a little extra flair. Meanwhile, LeBron James? He’ll sip it, but only after peeling off the label. But Gatorade isn’t backing down. Their latest move?

Partnering with Luka Doncic for a limited-edition bottle—one that subtly throws shade at the Dallas Mavericks. The sports drink giant, owned by the $204B PepsiCo empire, just announced a special Luka-branded bottle for $34.99.

What’s interesting is the timing: it dropped just hours before Luka’s matchup against the Mavericks at Crypto.com Arena. Even Gatorade’s own statement leans into the narrative, hyping up Luka’s “new journey in LA”—a clear attempt to fuel the Lakers-era buzz.

“Gatorade is releasing a limited-time $34.99 bottle in collaboration with Luka Doncic,” Grant Afseth wrote in his tweet. Meanwhile, the sports drink brand stated: “Gatorade knows every athlete is one-of-one and every journey is different. We are excited to collaborate with Luka on his custom bottle drop while he embraces his new journey in LA.”

The message is clear: Gatorade sees Luka as the face of the future—and that future isn’t in Dallas. But while Gatorade is busy selling Luka as the Lakers‘ next big thing, Mavericks fans have plans of their own.

To be precise, Dallas is brewing something not just for Doncic but for GM Nico Harrison as well, on April 9. The highly anticipated reunion is a month and a half away. Luka will return to Dallas—not as the Mavs’ hero, but as the Lakers’ biggest attraction.

And Tim MacMahon has everything to tell about it.

Mavericks fans eagerly wait for Luka Doncic’s grand homecoming with special arrangements for the GM

On The Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN insiders Tim MacMahon and Brian Windhorst discussed the most-awaited Dallas Mavericks vs. LA Lakers matchup at the American Airlines Center. Luka Doncic will return home after two months and play his game, but not as the No.77 Maverick. He’s a Laker now, the No.77 on his jersey is Gold & Purple.

“We’re just coming back to Dallas, and you’re gonna have an entire road arena rooting for this guy. That’s gonna be nuts. That’s gonna be one of the most surreal scenes!” MacMahon expressed.

Meanwhile, Windy feels that this homecoming would also be meaningful for the Mavericks. But, “I still think the entire arena will be wanting to see Luka score eighty points,” MacMahon pointed out. And then, there’s the Nico Harrison angle. Reports suggest Mavs fans are already preparing thousands of “Nico Clown” T-shirts to flood the arena.

“There’s gonna be the question is whether it be more Luka Lakers jerseys or Mavericks jerseys. And there’ll be some Slovenian ones mixed in. I think there’s gonna be, they’re trying to get these, Nico clown T-shirts. Like, they’re trying to sell, like, 10,000 of those too, but I still don’t know.” 

Luka Doncic‘s return to Dallas isn’t just a game—it’s a spectacle in the making. Meanwhile, Gatorade’s slick move hints at a fresh Lakers chapter, but Mavs fans aren’t letting go that easily. With Nico Harrison in the crosshairs and “clown T-shirts” in the mix, April 9 is shaping up to be pure chaos. But, before that Feb.24 awaits.

One thing’s for sure—when Luka steps on that court, all eyes will be on him.