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Mavericks pull petty move with nearby Luka Doncic billboard

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 9:26 PM ET

Another post-Luka Doncic move by the Dallas Mavericks is drawing scrutiny this week.

The former Mavericks star Doncic, whom the team traded away to the Los Angeles Lakers last season, has a new partnership with the “Overwatch 2” video game. Doncic has a presence in the first-person shooter game, including rewards and customs builds, and is featured in promotional material for the game on billboards that started popping up around the country this week.

One such billboard sprung up close to American Airlines Center, the Dallas, Tex. home of the Mavericks. Arash Markazi of The Sporting Tribune reports that the Mavericks pulled a petty move with the billboard. They were reportedly “unhappy” with how close the Doncic billboard was to their arena and asked for it to be moved.

Markazi also shared a picture of the original location of the billboard, featuring half of Doncic’s face alongside half of the face of a character in the game and a caption reading, “Cowboys Never Die.”

The Luka Doncic Overwatch signage in Dallas wasn’t without controversy from the Mavericks side apparently. According to sources, Mavericks ownership made them move the original location of the billboard. They felt that it was too close to the arena. They weren’t happy. pic.twitter.com/hn3Boai39S
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) August 27, 2025

It is understandable why the Mavericks would not want much association with a player who is no longer on their roster. But the way that the team has handled the Doncic trade over the roughly seven months since it occurred has left a lot to be desired.

Days after trading Doncic away, Dallas got criticized for seemingly smearing the five-time NBA All-Star over his conditioning and his work ethic. Then another saga occurred weeks later when the team supposedly disrespected Doncic by censoring him out of a hype video.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks’ own fans were absolutely fed up over both the trade and the way that the franchise handled the aftermath of it. While the arrival of a new era under rookie superstar Cooper Flagg has since softened the blow some, this week’s petty billboard move by the Mavericks may have just given fresh ammo to their critics.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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