In early February, Luka Doncic was shipped off to the Los Angeles Lakers in a seismic trade that baffled many in the NBA and devastated Dallas Mavericks fans.
Weeks later, the sting of losing the Slovenian star remains fresh. Some fans have channeled their grief into a mural honoring Doncic.
Cars whizzed by on Singleton Boulevard in the Tin District on Wednesday afternoon as four artists took turns filling in the sketches of a 37-by-15-foot artwork.
The left side of the mural featured the Dallas skyline with the words “Luka Magic” written in cursive. On the right, Doncic was portrayed from two angles: facing forward with a euphoric look and his mouth agape and another image of him gazing over his shoulder.
Juan Velazquez, a Fort Worth-based artist, posted on Instagram days after the trade about his intent to create the mural.
He and his wife had just returned from the hospital after the birth of their daughter when he heard the news, he said in a recent interview.
“It was supposed to be a good moment of me coming home with our kid and it’s like I have to wake up to this bull crap.”
“I had even told my wife if we have a boy, we’re going to name him Luka. I remember her telling me, ‘What if they trade him?’ I was like they’re not going to trade him — he’s like Dirk,” he continued, referencing the Mavericks’ previous franchise player, Dirk Nowitzki.
Velazquez enlisted the help of friends and fellow artists Armando Aguirre, Gustavo Briseno and Travis Avila for the mural. They raised $2,000 to cover the cost of paint and equipment to scale the wall.
As the men painted, some customers at a nearby gas station paused to take videos. Other people honked their car horns as they drove by, apparently in solidarity.
“It would have been dope for us to win a championship with him,” said Aguirre, an Oak Cliff native. “Instead of a goodbye Luka, it’s a thank you.”
For the first time since the trade, Doncic faced his former team on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, a game the Lakers won 107-99.
Velazquez hopes the mural will signal the frustration and disapproval some fans have with the direction of the team.
“I’m rooting more for Luka than the Mavs,” Velazquez said. “The organization didn’t really seem to care about the fans,” he added, referencing spectators who were escorted out of a recent game for protesting the trade, including one man who mouthed the words “Fire Nico” in a jab to Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who executed the deal.
“This mural is for all the Dallas fans. Hope everybody can enjoy it,” Velazquez said.
“Except for Nico Harrison. This is not for him,” he said.
