For the first time since Dallas County named a day after him, Luka Doncic won’t be in town to celebrate it—and if that wasn’t enough salt in the Mavs fanbase’s open wound, the team just inked a deal with one of Luka’s most controversial NBA “opposites.” July 6 has long been known as Luka Doncic Day in Dallas, a date etched in stone back in 2021 to honor the Slovenian superstar’s rapid rise, ridiculous skillset, and the way he almost single-handedly restored hope post-Dirk. But this year, instead of celebrating with fans in the city that worshipped him like he was a 6’7” basketball messiah, Luka will be in a different jersey. Not only is he gone, but the Mavericks just handed the keys to D’Angelo Russell.

It’s like breaking up with your soulmate and then showing up to their birthday party with their biggest rival. Yeah, fans aren’t taking it well.

Let’s rewind the madness for just a second.

Luka Doncic, the franchise cornerstone who had Mavs fans screaming “M-V-P!” in five different languages, was shockingly traded last season to the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster deal for Anthony Davis. While AD is still a defensive monster and top-tier interior presence, shipping out Luka sent the Mavs’ fanbase into a spiritual mid-life crisis.

But okay, maybe that was for future flexibility. Maybe it was about the draft. And sure enough, Dallas landed the No. 1 overall pick in 2025 and used it to grab Cooper Flagg, the most hyped white boy since Larry Bird started making parquet floors fashionable. Flagg’s arrival was supposed to reset the vibes—but then, boom: the front office signed D’Angelo Russell.

Yes, the same D’Lo who once got Nick Young excommunicated from the Lakers locker room like he was Judas with a smartphone. The same guy who’s bounced around the league like a pinball machine since his lone All-Star season in 2019. And now he’s Luka’s unofficial replacement? For $13 million?

You’d think Mark Cuban snuck back into the building and pulled a prank.

Fan Reactions: The Mavericks’ PR Team Needs a Hug

 “Why not July 7? Made more sense, right?” Why is Luka Doncic Day on July 6? Good question, angry internet friend. Back in 2021, the Dallas County Commissioners Court made it official—July 6 would forever honor Luka’s impact on and off the court. The date was chosen specifically to avoid conflicting with July 4 celebrations and commemorative events around the country. Basically, July 6 gave the city room to breathe, reflect, and scream “We love you Luka!” without fireworks getting in the way. So no, July 7 wouldn’t have made more sense. July 6 is sacred.

“Yet Nico gonna sit there and say he didn’t know how much Luka meant to Dallas. They gave this man his holiday without winning a thing. What other evidence do you need?” General Manager Nico Harrison is in the hot seat, and frankly, he’s acting like it’s a bean bag. Harrison masterminded the AD trade and later admitted that he underestimated how deeply Luka was embedded in the city’s DNA. “I knew Luka was important to the fan base. I didn’t quite know to what level,” he said in a moment of front-office self-awareness that felt about 8 months too late. Given that Dallas gave Luka his own holiday without him winning a title, how much more of a clue do you need, Nico?

 “The Disgusting Dallas Mavericks” Harsh? Maybe. Inaccurate? Not really. After the Luka trade, fans didn’t just voice displeasure—they organized. People protested outside the American Airlines Center, chanted “Fire Nico” during games, and demanded refunds for season tickets. Some were even ejected for yelling about the trade during timeouts. One local columnist called it “a betrayal Dirk wouldn’t even dream of.” And then, to pile on the emotional dumpster fire, they signed D’Lo. Which brings us to…

 “Mavs’ front office really tryna pissed Luka fans by signing and re-signing players on Luka Day 😅 Love Luka, but need to move on until he decided to comeback to Mavs in his favor. #MFFL” There’s a meme circulating of a guy trying to put out a fire with gasoline labeled “D’Angelo Russell.” That sums it up. Russell signed a 2-year, $13M deal using the mid-level exception, presumably to serve as the bridge guard while Kyrie Irving recovers from his ACL injury. But to Mavs fans, it felt more like an intentional torching of the Luka shrine. D’Lo’s controversial history, plus his tendency to disappear in big moments, makes him a baffling “heir” to Luka’s role—even temporarily.

 “even if they got cooper flagg, luka was and still will be the heart of dallas after dirk” And this is the heart of it. Cooper Flagg might be the next great white hope, but even if he turns into a combination of Bird, Dirk, and a splash of KG intensity, Luka Doncic is still the guy. He wasn’t just a great player—he was the culture. The one who made random Dallas diners feel like Madison Square Garden. The guy who would do a no-look lob off one foot and still yell at refs like he was auditioning for Broadway. Fans aren’t just mad because he’s gone—they’re devastated that the front office seems to be erasing him from the timeline like it’s NBA Multiverse of Madness.

Let’s talk brass tacks. The Mavericks needed an on-ball guard after Kyrie’s injury and Luka’s exit. D’Angelo Russell, statistically, makes sense on paper. Last season, he averaged 12.6 points and 5.1 assists over 58 games split between the Lakers and Nets. He can run the pick-and-roll, shoot decently from deep (although his heat checks sometimes feel like performance art), and doesn’t need 35 minutes a night.

But he’s not Luka. And bringing him in on Luka Doncic Day weekend? That’s the basketball equivalent of getting dumped and then bumping into your ex while holding hands with their arch-nemesis. It’s giving “read the room” energy.

Meanwhile, Anthony Davis, Cooper Flagg, Daniel Gafford, and Dereck Lively II offer elite interior presence, so at least Russell’s defensive lapses can be semi-hidden. But unless D’Lo turns into a 2018 All-Star again, Dallas may still struggle with shot creation—and more importantly, with public relations.

Luka Doncic may be gone, but July 6 will always be his day in Dallas. Unfortunately, this year it feels more like a day of mourning than celebration. Between his absence, Nico Harrison’s tone-deaf timing, and the arrival of D’Angelo “The Polarizer” Russell, Mavs fans have every reason to feel like they’re living in a bad sequel to The Decision.

This isn’t just about basketball. This is about loyalty, identity, and the feeling that the player you grew up with got swapped out like an expired coupon. Dallas might’ve landed Cooper Flagg, but they lost Luka Doncic—and no amount of “future potential” can replace the present pain.

And if they keep poking the Luka hive, they might just get stung all over again.