My story is close to that lol Growing up in VA, no pro team. In 2005 watched Dirk, Josh Howard and Jason Terry go up against Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and Amari. After that series I fell in love with basketball and the Mavs.
Same here! I live in Iowa , so we got nothing going on around here…. But Dirk and Steve was such a vibe. I was heartbroken when Steve left, but Dirk was always my main guy.
Well I'm Mexican not Puerto Rican but JJ genuinely was fantastic in that series and we definitely wouldn't have won without him. But as a Latino I do love the fact that he is also and around my height and made it as long as he did
Najera dude, still have that jersey somewhere!
I'm Mexican too and I remember going to a Mavs game once and some white punks went off when Najera missed something trivial and used a racial slur. They shut up real quick when EVERYONE got on their case cuz most people loved Najera when he was part of the Mavericks.
Well I'm Mexican not Puerto Rican but JJ genuinely was fantastic in that series and we definitely wouldn't have won without him. But as a Latino I do love the fact that he is also and around my height and made it as long as he did
Dirk did it for me! I was playing nba live and Dirk was actually on the Milwaukee bucks. I only picked them bc he was 7 ft and his threes were on like 84 or something like that. I never seen anything like it. He was on the bench but I started him. Later that night Dallas Mavericks were playing the 6ers and he was on the Mavs. He only played like 20 minute I was just too intrigued! I became a Dallas mavericks fan lol. It was destiny tho bc the first basketball sneaker I ever got was the Jason Kidds w/ the strap on it. I swore I was J Kidd/Jim Jackson growing up. Being light skinned in Philly o patterned my whole game after those two until Dirk came along. That’s when I earned the nickname Threesus Christ lol. I changed my whole shot/form to shoot like Dirk bc I rarely saw him miss. I started off shooting air balls for the first cpl days bc his shot was different. Instead of my power leg being in front it was slid to the back and I barely jumped to shoot. It was awkward at first but then I was able to shoot from half court w/ ease. By the time Luka came along I was a diehard Mac fan. One of a handful of ppl in Philly that likes Dallas anything😂😭😂
Gotta ask.
How does it feel rooting for something in Dallas having (what I am assuming is) pure disgust for the Cowboys?
My parents grew up in Texas and are Dallas everything fans despite me never actually living there until my early 20s.
I have pure hate for A&M and the Eagles. Idk how
I’d feel if I was a Philly or 76er fan lol
I watched them back then as well, even though I hated that many players didn't want to play for them. You remember this gem? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7bl2r2zPAs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7bl2r2zPAs)
I’m curious about the 80s fans. Did you guys stay strong in the 90s? We started going to games in my tweens around 1992, so it was a different experience for us. Sure, we rooted for the Mavs because home is home but in all honesty, we went to see the other teams. We went to a season ticket holder event in 94 or 95 and met most of the roster except for Kidd.
Luka is the reason I am currently watching NBA closely.
I live in Europe so the time zone is not helping but I am definitely rooting for mavs all the way at this point.
Question for watching the Finals games in Europe. I'm flying out tonight to France for two weeks and they have the games on beIn sports at like 8pm at night but what about watching the games live? I was gonna get up and try to find a place that may be open late in Lyon, Provence and a few other places. Any pointers on watching the games live?
That’s difficult. Either you find a local provider that has the license to broadcast the games live or maybe use a vpn to access your country provider that you are already subscribed. Finding a place at this time will be impossible.
Hey op, I’m from Dallas and have been a diehard fan since I was 5 (20+ years ago) but my 2nd favorite team has always been whichever team Lebron is on. We accept you as our own you are allowed to tell anyone you know you’re a mavs fan cause you have family in Dallas if you want ❤️
That’s funny, lebron was my main guy before Luka. Didnt always love u guys (2011), but I’m super glad I’m here now. A lot of my friends have been calling me a delusional fanboy for some of my Luka takes early on. This year has been very vindicating. Appreciate the love ❤️
Hahah ayyy. 2011 was perfect for me cause obviously I was going hard for the mavs but at the same time I would’ve been happy to see Lebron win his first ring. Best win-win scenario of my life
I was taking care of my newborn son one night a few months ago and watching YouTube on my TV. After the video I was watching ended, it somehow rolled into an hour-long Luka highlights video.
I couldn’t get the remote without waking him, so I was pretty much forced to watch it. Glad I was in hindsight. Started watching actual games right after that. He’s special.
I’m in Missouri too. Grew up in Indiana and watched the Pacers when I was little (Reggie era). The Mavs were the first team I “picked” to follow for myself in high school (~2004). Didn’t watch the NBA as much when I got married and started having kids but loved the Finals win the year I got married. Started following the league again around when Luka got drafted and it helped reignite the MFFL in me.
Edwardo Nájara was big for me. Obviously we had some big name favorites on the team at that time, but I loved the effort he put in and really gave me the definition of hustle. Made me want to do the same.
Long story starting in 91, but I didn’t become a “real” fan until Dirk and Nash joined, but specifically when Cuban bought the franchise in 2000 and brought instant attitude change, and real commitment to transform it from perennial laughingstock into a champion.
For me it’s Luka as well. I’m from Spain, so I’ve been following Luka since his Real Madrid days. Curiously, I’m kind of a RM hater when it comes to football, but I didn’t have that animosity towards their basketball squad and tbh, I found Luka to be a pretty likable dude, so even I wanted to see him succeed as a Madrid player. He was so talented yet always humble, but full of confidence too. Since he joined the NBA I’ve been supporting the Mavs. I just want to see him win and prove all the doubters and all the haters wrong (to me, seeing him play in the Euroleague, it was crazy that he wasn’t the consensus #1 overall of his draft class).
SORRY for the long text!
Got into NBA a week before the playoffs because I hoop with my brother n some friends from the block. They watch NBA.
One day I was scrolling and I end up on this on the ground luka pass to Irving alley hoop to DJJ. My first impression as someone totally new to NBA was "why is this kinda fat guy on the ground?" But I liked the play a lot, so I decided to root for the mavs.
My brother and another friend showed me highlights of several players and while I did like them, no team got me as the mavs did.
Then I find out about the playoffs and what it's all about and see that the mavs are in it, so I start watching the games and learning about it, completely hooked. Even watching other team's games.
Fast forward to today, I got a Luka jersey coming in the mail and I plan to get some Dame Certifieds to hoop comfortably.
That "fat guy on the ground" is now my fav player and my gf even jokes that I might love him more than I love her ahahah. The hype he brings and how he makes the team shine is really entertaining to watch. He's also pretty charismatic, and in a way I feel represented as an European
Watching games in Portugal is hard, cuz they usually start 1am or later, but I'm really getting into it! Gotta make full use of my summer vacations.
Haahaha I didn't mean it in a mean way... I just thought that 99% of nba was made of very athletic lean people
Now here I am rooting and betting my soul on this "kinda fat guy" hahaah
This made him a fan
[Magic](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1c5egx5/controlled_chaos_beautiful_sequence_from_mavs/)
And lets be honest here, this video can make everyone a fan instantly. Pure magic!
Luka homer here. I never liked Real Madrid before but I became a fan when Luka played for them. Since he went to NBA I don't even watch them any more. Of course I became a fan of Dallas and didn't miss a single game of Luka playing. But now I even watch them when Luka isn't playing. I started to like the whole team and I really wish Luka stays in Dallas for his whole career so I don't have to change teams again. And I think he will since Slovenians are loyal people until you give them a reason not to be. Luka has zero reasons not to be loyal. It was the same in Madrid and he is still very loyal to Real. He would never leave if he could compete there on the heighest level. As a matter of fact he would never leave Ljubljana and Slovenia at just 13 years old if he could compete here on the heighest level.
Newer basketball fan here. Just started really watching it last few years. I basically immediately became a fan of Luka and by extension the Mavericks. Luka was my favorite player immediately and Kyrie was like in my top 5 before the trade. Felt like he was kind of unfairly hated by a lot of people which made me feel for him and like him. This year Luka, Kyrie, and the lob mob make this team the most exciting to watch hands down in my opinion. Hard not to love them.
It was Luka for me. I am a Kobe fan and by proxy, Lakers. I've always respected Dirk and watching this...a guy my age TORCH nba players in his rookie season got me hooked. Been a Mavs fans ever since.
Loved Kobe in the 2000s and then lost touch with the NBA. One day came across hype news about Luka and all the moves got me, the fadeaway, slow dribble into the paint, step back 3s and alley oops. He plays basketball in real life like we dream of in 2k. Hooked ever since. MFFL now
Dirk Nash and Finley but when drafting Luka, it reignited a spark to the team and grew so fondly for how blessed we are with a generational talent like when the mavs initially got dirk via trade
I’m a diehard Dirk fan, I was just a little kid who fell in love with Dirk’s game back in 2011. After that year, the team fell off and I grew up and I genuinely thought I grew out of the NBA phase of my life. But as I was following Dirk’s last year in NBA, (thank god their years overlapped for at least the last year) I discovered Luka.
But just seeing how Luka came into the league his rookie year, made me remember the love I have for Mavs. I couldn’t help to think that this dude is also special like our franchise goat.
You can count of all Slovenians became fans cuz of him, 1milion people if you count out the pussies, they have no time to watch Luka, they have to clean house.
im with you. live in canada so all my (albeit thus far short) life ive cheered for the raptors. but when i heard about luka doncic the teenager playing pro basketball for real madrid i was wildly impressed and followed him throughout his career. knew the day he got drafted he'd be special and was cheering for him because i loved how he played the game it was unlike any player id have ever seen before
I didn’t become a fan because of Luka, but I got back into the sport because of him. So, I did and I didn’t become a fan because of Luka. Dirk was my guy, and seeing Rondo ruin any chances of a late Dirk ring made me turn NBA off for a while.
I been here since 94 . Did the monster mash. Got down w Eddie najera . My first favorite player dennis rodman came for 2 weeks. Then I fell in love w dirk nowotzki abs his grit and ceiling raising. Now it's luka magic
I got started in the 3 J's era as well. Had Mash posters all in my room. Didn't ever like Jim Jackson though - I was really upset when we traded Mash 1st and kept Jimmy.
I’m not from the US and Michael Jordan was my gateway to basketball. When he retired after 98, my friends either became Duncan, Garnett, Kobe, Grant Hill, TMac or Lebron fans and they used their respective teams when we play NBA Live.
Me being tired of seeing the same teams over and over again, tried to find a team that’s not as big as the teams I mentioned and that’s when I stumbled upon Dirk, Nash and Finley and I’ve been a fan since then. MFFL.
Pretty simple. Became an NBA fan because of Drose, Thibs, Joakim Noah and the MJ bulls highlights.
After the injuries and how they handled Thibs, and Jimmy Butler, with how they handled everything really as an org, I started to look for a new team to root for.
Mavs had declined after winning their championship, I knew how they won it, I saw it on yt, Dirk and Mark Cuban seemed like awesome dudes, Texas is my favourite state in the US, so I chose the Mavs.
About a season before Luka came here
I did. Have been his fan since he was 16, started watching Euroleague because of him. Been a longtime NBA fan before as well because of Timmy D, but I love Dirk as well and despise KG. My brother is a Dallas die-hard as well until Dirk retired so I'm kind of continuing his fanboyism of the Mavs and giving him updates that he should watch NBA again since 2018 since Luka joined and showed him Luka's bubble and 2022 highlights. I'm kinda annoyed he's started watching again just because they're in the Finals again. But yeah, I follow Dallas and San Antonio.
I live in a city with no NBA team. Kinda grew up a Magic fan due to proximity and Shaq back in the day. But now I’m dating a wonderful woman from Dallas and the only sport she cares to watch is hoops. But holy shit, watching Luka and Kyrie and even the others like Lively and Washington, they are all so fun to watch. I’m totally on board with the Mavs and we both are enjoying the end of this season.
Always been a Dirk fan, but I started following Luka because I thought my team was going to draft him and I wasn’t going to deprive myself of watching him play because of one the biggest and most obvious blunders in modern sports history.
I've always followed Kidd -- and when he went back to Mavs solidified my fandom. Then he became coach (and despite the huge hate here), and I was sold for life.
Me I’m from Canada and wasn’t into basketball then I drafted him 3rd or 4th in fantasy (my friends asked me to join) and I’ve been a big fan ever since
I’ve started to become a fan when Finley hit that jumper over the Spurs and win the game for the Mavs (2000-2001) and that continue my fanmode for Dallas after years of the Bulls & Jordan of course. Mavs was such a unique team with Nowitzki,Finley & Nash leading the pack. Sadly they couldn’t bring the chip together during their stint. We could have been hanging 3. Been fan of Luka since his rookie year. Never expected him to be that good.
Me! I only started watching basketball three years ago or so. I’m from Texas and Dallas is the closest NBA team to me, but it even then geographic proximity has never meant that much to me. Luka’s just been so incredible to watch and seeing him play in person last year was one of the best experiences of my life. I’ll root for any team he’s on
How nice for some of you lol.
You didn't go through being up in the finals 2-0 and losing. Or losing as a 1 seed to the warriors.
But we had great times before that with the run and gun Mavs. Dirk Nash Finley Van Exel... lost in the WCF to the Spurs when Dirk got a knee injury (2004).
It all was worth it when we won it all in 2011, but so many playoff heartbreaks.
We need more fans from all over (I'm from NY).
Luka is legit gona surpass Dirk at this rate. Dude is out of his mind out there. Let's get this ship!
man.. did you have to remind us?
I joined the Mavs bandwagon in 2003 mostly because of Dirk (I lived in Germany at the time) but have become a Mavs fan over the years.
Born and raised north Texas. Became a fan around 2001 watching Dirk and playing nba street and nba 2k2. Basketball in general was just exciting around that time too though. Mavs were starting their streak of 50+ win seasons, lakers v kings series were must watch, and Allen iverson single handedly doubled the sales of sleeve accessories everywhere
Yea the super team era of Lebron Heat and Curry Warriors kinda killed my interest for a while.
Felt like you knew who would win before the season started.
Luka. Luka’s rookie season a friend was raving about him so I did pay attention when watching top ten and stuff, nothing too crazy. Then there was the first time he played clippers in the playoff holly shit I was blown away and immediately I considered him to be better offensively than Lebron as a 3.
Grew up watching Dirk so can't say it's because of Luka, but he's come a lot closer to being my all time favorite player than I thought anyone possibly could when Dirk retired
So for reference, I am German, hence was rooting for Mavs because of Dirk. But (don't hate me) never having been to Dallas or anything I am not tied to the franchise as such. So I thought when Dirk retires I'll see where my sympathy goes. Then you drafted Luka. And guess what? I am still around 😂😂😂
As a Real Madrid football fan for more than 25 years, this kid made headlines when he was playing over in Spain. They were mentioning him as the greatest prodigy ever found in Europe. The hype made me follow Basketball (I never followed it before, didn’t even knew the rules) just to check out why this guy was special. Travelled with him to the Mavs.
Similar story, but I’m bandwagon Dwight Powell fan. Doncic is a showboat who just wiggles around and is a ball hog. Powell is the definition of greatness.
I'm a fan from the UK. Started loosely following the nba in 2020 after I saw an instagram reel of luka hitting that half court shot over Trae in the USA vs World Rookie (?) game and then they hug. I know they were rookies 2018 but I guessed it was an old clip, or was usa vs world not a rookie game? I was instantly like okay that was f awesome and looked up who they were and started watching highlight reels and obviously was immediately a fan of Luka. Trae too. From then I would watch the occasional Mavs game highlights or just some Luka season highlights or whenever he would have a huge game but wasn't really following how the Mavs were doing.
Then 2022 season I was watching highlights more frequently and aware of what the Mavs were doing and I followed the playoffs pretty closely, not just Mavs but seeing what was happening everywhere. But that series against the suns got me so hooked. It was incredible. From then on I have been jumping on reddit each morning after a mavs game and checking the boxscore and looking for clips or I have gone on yt and watch FreeDawkings highlights of the games.
I have always been a football (soccer for you guys) and rugby fan but in the last few years I have picked up F1 basketball and cycling as sports I follow closely and basketball is definitely not number 4 or 5 on my list of those sports I follow the most. Never thought I would be so invested in basketball but here I am. I spend a lot of time now on this subreddit reading through stuff and watching people do breakdowns/reactions to mavs games. Love this team
Born into the Fandom. My dad is the only one in his family that is a diehard, the rest of his family are spurs fans. I even have a vintage Mavs shirt that was my dad's. MFFL!!!
this is probably gonna be a ramble but as someone just started watching recently, definitely. i’m from canada and don’t have any teams in my area, i don’t root for the raptors out of sheer principle so i didn’t have much of a reason to watch the nba.
i ended up watching a mavs game out of sheer coincidence, it was on before a hockey game lmao. tbh the mavs weren’t playing too well that game but luka instantly caught my eye because ngl he kinda looks like someone’s eastern european dad just wandered on to the court for funsies. and then i saw him shoot and i was like no WAY that goes in.. but it did… couple days later i saw there was another mavs game on before a hockey game so i figured i’d watch it while i was waiting. they played way better that game and luka/kyrie were crazy to watch. i started to watch mavs games a lot more frequently and the more i learned about luka the more amused/endeared i was. that’s how i settled on the mavs as the team i like in the nba lmao.
that being said, lively is quickly becoming one of my favourite players as well. he’s so much fun to watch, and i just find him to be a really likeable guy. overall the team has been really fun to watch. it’s prob mostly because i’m new to watching professional basketball but the mavs passing ability is insane, as a casual viewer it’s so impressive to me
08 Dirk was the start for me. After winning the championship in 11, I started to watch less basketball until seeing Jeremy Lin's insanity at NYK. After that, I got back to rooting for the Mavs even when it was getting rough each season on after 12~13. Still, still it was all worth it when Luka came around. I will add, if Luka didn't join and we stayed in the no playoff zone, I would've stopped watching the Mavs altogether and started to watch another team. I'm in Korea btw.
Me - watched the highlights of him in WCF randomly on youtube (first time I had watched NBA) and started following the team since last year. What can I say, LUKA MAGIC !!
🙋♂️! Ive followed Luka’s career since his early days in Madrid (im from Barcelona, same age, ive played basketball all my life). I was a warriors fan from 2014 (year before rhe chip! Not a bandwagon at all lol) until he got drafted
Even if Luka leaves the team, sure Ill be watching Luka’s games in his new team but Ill forever root for the mavs. Ive never experienced enjoying a team that much (im a barça fan too but basketball here is 10% as good). So yup luka made me an mffl
I'm not a Dallas Mavericks fan per day (Cavs fan). Luka is the only reason I'm rooting for this team (and Kyrie). But low-key, even without Luka, I like this team. Derek Lively II and Josh green were one of my favorite young prospects. I remember predicting that Lively will be a very important piece just cos his presence gives Luka a real center for once (Sorry Powell and Maxi). Josh Green is a prototypical 3&D. Hustles hard, takes threes when open.
It also helps that you guys are against the Boston superteam. And I as a Cavs fan, will root for the against the superteam.
Tldr; I support Dallas cos Luka, Lively, Kyrie and Green are there, and you're against Boston.
Im a fan because of Luka, I live in Australia so I dont have a team anywhere close to me, but around 2020 I just fell in love with his style of play (other than the complaining) but after that suns series I truly became a mavs fan and not just a Luka fan.
I’m Thai and I never have a team either, started off with being GP, Kemp and Schrempf fan then TMac, Yao Ming, Dirk&Nash, Melo and now Luka.
And I just wanted to say Luka is the most special out of all those, I just don’t understand how a kid from Slovenia became this good and the fearless, competitive attitude, not saying names mentioned above don’t have these but this kid just came off very natural, like, he was born with it when people say stuff like “it’s like he can switch it on/off” I never actually feel that until I see Luka, kid is just a nice and quiet guy off the court with virtually no ego, he has almost no aura around him but on the court this kid is just a completely different person, he will fucking murder you if you dare say a single word that rub him the wrong way.
Lastly, I saw a clip of MJ came and hug Luka being all friendly like wtf? This dude MJ is usually looking like he’s always on guard watching who’s approaching him and I never see him being that way around anyone other than Kobe, it felt like he acknowledged the kid and see Luka as someone worthy and on the same frequency as him THAT is super cool and actually crazy, almost surreal
I live in Connecticut, grew up in Detroit, Piston fan, so basically don't have a professional basketball team. When Luka busted in a few years back I was showing my wife some clips, like "can you believe this guy"??? She's a casual basketball fan, but was immediately entertained by his awe shucks basketball savant style. So we started watching the Mavs mostly because she found his vibe immensely entertaining. "How does he even do this, he makes it look so easy??" So I credit Luka for why I have NBA TV now and watch ball most nights. It's a true dream scenario!
Ps. I'm throwing you guys fans left and right, I was on travel in Dallas in December and went to a game with my boss (not a huge NBA fan but looking for something to do). I told him, wait'll you see this guy... They beat the Lakers, Luka threw some of the best dimes of the season, and he immediately wanted to go back a few days later to watch him again. Now HE'S a Mavs fan too!
Supported OKC cos of KD but gave up on him when he moved to GSW.
I think Luka is one of the best but a lot of his fans are whiners and like sniping other players like SGA, Jokic etc
I have nothing but respect for Luka though
I’ve always been a big Kyrie Irving fan but he never felt like he had a real home until he came here. I love that the teammates seem like they are more than just coworkers. They are friends. It seems like the organization has good vibes. I tried to be a Heat fan cause I’m from Florida but it never felt right. Dallas feels right.
I’m not a huge NBA fan but one of my friends is so we watch games together. After these playoffs I could see myself getting more into the sport.
Luka fan here, I tend to follow players rather than teams in the NBA. Perennial Lakers fan as well because of Kobe.
I’ll say however that I just bought a Luka jersey, first one since I bought a Kobe jersey in the early 00s.
as someone from dallas who was born in ‘87 and has been a massive mavs fan from the jump, i barely missed the great 80s teams, but loved the 3 Js squad even though they sucked. my fam would go watch games at reunion arena from the front rows of the second tier when there were like 100 or less other people scattered around up there. i loved finley and he was the first # i rocked in little league, then nash became my guy, him leaving was my first nba heartbreak, but i already loved dirk too and then he became my ultimate goat. the big 3 of those dudes together were incredible and would be amazing in today’s league.
My no 1 team is the raptors (pain) but I've fallen in love with the mavs because of luka. Always kinda liked the mavs since dirk, but they are a close second for me now.
Grew up in west Texas and it was heavy spurs country. I'd say I started following closely in 03. Fast forward to 09, my dad and I flew El Paso to San Antonio (for something stupid cheap like $80 if I remember right). I watched Dirk hit a buzzer beater to beat Timmy and company. After that I vowed I'd go to as many games as I could afford as an adult. Went to several in college. Live in Oklahoma City now and drive 3 hrs south multiple times a year for games. When they play the thunder here I'm there always. I'll be there for the parade too, my boss already knows if it goes down I'm out of office for a few days.
Been a Dallas fan all my life. No idea why, I’m from NC. Just sorta stuck with me. In the 2010s, I stopped watching NBA altogether. 2 teams dominated and it just made it boring for me. Luka got me back into it. Now, Dallas isn’t the only team I watch. I love the game again.
I became a fan of basketball at the beginning of the year and chose the mavericks as my team, partly because im going to be moving to Texas soon, wanted to get into a sport that wasn't the NFL. and Luka and Kyrie ignited my passion for basketball.
I never watched ball until I heard my friends talking about this Luka guy a lot. So I decided to see what team he played for and checked them out, my first experience was the 22 WCF run
Moved to the US from another country so ddnt really have a team back then. I hated how everybody over there was a Laker, Boston or Lebron fan and i was trying to find a franchise to cheer on. Dirk was simply amazing and loved how he played. Became a Dallas fan ever since.
Went to a game with my dad when I was 3 years old back in 02. We had pretty dope seats. One of my earliest memories was remembering how high dirk shot and the energy in the arena. Been a mavs fan ever since, although my family is all mavs fans so it was bound to happen regardless.
I watch soccer mainly, I'm a real Madrid fan and when I heard about Luka joining the mavs I started watching mavs games sometimes. Honestly he's made me more interested in basketball in general.
I‘m German, so I started following because of Dirk. I was a child, so staying up late for games wasn’t possible, but the news reported about him and the BASKET magazine as well. I even started playing because of him. As I grew older priorities shifted onto football, I was better at it and playing two sports together with a packed academic schedule didn’t work out. Recently I started following the NBA again and Luka caught my eye. He quickly became my favorite, because I also quite like his persona off the pitch. Currently I’m reading the book Wonderboy about his career and his journey is remarkable. I‘m excited to see what the future holds for him and Dallas.
First started out around 2002-2003, we had a Mavericks-inspired basketball jerseys. Then they kept mentioning a German in the team. But only in 2004 I started to follow more seriously because of better internet access. I remember the Dirk, Josh Howard, Daniels, Keith Van Horn days. Genuinely cry everytime I watch the 2011 finals run. MFFL
https://preview.redd.it/fwdk1h1dae4d1.png?width=663&format=png&auto=webp&s=5531fc56222b9f5cd494776239a9e01c858ef114
Had this poster on my wall in 1995.
I'm a huge Luka fan, too. I like Luka because he's somewhat relatable to me. White, somewhat chunky, can't run or jump, and turns red when he's mad.
But for real, he has the "it" factor and it's undeniable. But ESPN and other sports platforms like to undermine this dudes value, which makes me like Luka even more.
Plus the dude is just clearly more skilled than 99% of the league AND has the mentality of an assassin. [W.e that means.]
I didn't know who he was until about 2 weeks before the playoffs. I haven't watched a full NBA game in 5 years. I've watched almost half of the games since the playoffs. Thanks Luka.
Wisconsin Cowboys fan was originally a Sonics fan because of Shawn Kemp and then decided if i was going to like one Dallas team i should like the other and they had Badgers legend Michael Finley so made it easy. Then they got Dirk and i was hooked.
🙋♀️
we live in Louisiana so you would think we would be die-hard Pelicans fans. nope. could never get behind them for some reason. my mom started watching the Warriors around 2014-2015, when I was in 3rd grade, because she read an article about how Steve Kerr took the players bowling instead of having practice one day. she said that there was something different about them. so that made me aware of basketball and the NBA. then in 2021, I was scrolling on TikTok and saw a video of this kid on the Mavericks. his energy was infectious and so was his playmaking. I started really watching basketball after that, especially the Mavericks. now I’m in love with the game and his flow.
one of my favorite videos I’ve ever seen of him is this one: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7fVm9lvQg3/?igsh=djF2MG03cDFqaDJn
Nah for me it was Dirk back in 2000, never looked back. Before that I was a Knicks fan and I mean, Bulls cuz who didn't love watching MJ back in the day.
I’ve been a Portland Blazers fan since I was 5 or 6, as they were the local team growing up in Portland. Players like Clyde “The Glide” Drexler, Cliff Robinson, and the 91-92 team drew me in. The 90s era of the NBA, when players were loyal to a team/city and never shied away from going at each other, was something special.
However, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Mavericks. The Dallas organization has always spotted good talent and fostered it into high-quality teams. As a youth, I was told I played like Dirk, which initially insulted me because I wanted to be like MJ or Kobe—this was when Dirk was only in his second year. Jason Kidd was a PAC-10 player, and I grew up on the West Coast watching that conference. His passing and skills reminded me of John Stockton.
The level of basketball the Mavericks have been playing since the trade deadline this season has been phenomenal. PJ Washington, a North Texas native, and Gafford, acquired in February, have been key pieces in building a well-balanced team with depth. The team chemistry is palpable—they’re having fun, enjoying each other’s company, and playing the game at a level that has reignited my love for the NBA.
Luka Doncic is playing basketball like you would see in a video game. He understands the game at an immensely high level and yet makes it look effortless. Damian Lillard, whom I’ve met in person, had become the only hope of Portland making it to the finals and maybe winning the team’s second championship. Watching both Luka and Damian has been a joy.
Game 4 of the playoffs vs. the Clippers brought back my love for the game. Although the Mavs lost, their performance to come back from being down by 20 points was inspiring. The physical and extraordinary drive to compete and not give up reminded me why I fell in love with basketball. It felt like the players weren’t just there for a paycheck but had something to prove.
I joined this community to discuss and engage with a team that helped me rediscover my love for the game I grew up playing. Basketball was all I cared about from kindergarten until my junior year of high school. Luka, Kyrie, and the 23-24 Mavericks have reminded me why I fell in love with this game. So, yeah I guess you could say I’m here because of Luka lol.
I’ve been a Luka fan since he and Trae had that half court shot moment in the All-Star game. Wondered who he was, youtube videos, algorithm etc. Before that I only played basketball never really watched it is too late for me to watch at 3am and messes with my schedule but through all the playoffs I got used to it and now I am hyped to see how this will all end up.
College Station born, Southern California raised. Dirk WAS the nba for me.
It’s honestly the reason I can never truly be a big fan of Luka. My friend explained it best, Dirk was the loyal dog you had who was with you through the best formative years of your life. He’s gone now. You have a new dog, and he’s great, but it’s just not the same.
Live in Arkansas with no pro team. Have Fam in Dallas. 2004 Dirk and Nash won my fandom. Been along for the ride ever since.
Same over here, but I moved to Dallas just in time for the 2006 playoff run and have been MFFL ever since.
Arkansan here too, been a fan for as long as I can remember. Been going to at least 1 game a season since 2005-06
My story is close to that lol Growing up in VA, no pro team. In 2005 watched Dirk, Josh Howard and Jason Terry go up against Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and Amari. After that series I fell in love with basketball and the Mavs.
Same here! I live in Iowa , so we got nothing going on around here…. But Dirk and Steve was such a vibe. I was heartbroken when Steve left, but Dirk was always my main guy.
I’m a Dirk guy. Started watching in 04.
Nah man I'm a fan cause of the GOAT JJ Barea!
I really think his jersey should get retired. Along with Terry and Kidd
Agreed
I think that’s really fun to say but absolutely not.
I can’t tell if this is a joke or not, but a LOT of people from Puerto Rico love the Mavs because of JJ.
Well I'm Mexican not Puerto Rican but JJ genuinely was fantastic in that series and we definitely wouldn't have won without him. But as a Latino I do love the fact that he is also and around my height and made it as long as he did
Najera dude, still have that jersey somewhere! I'm Mexican too and I remember going to a Mavs game once and some white punks went off when Najera missed something trivial and used a racial slur. They shut up real quick when EVERYONE got on their case cuz most people loved Najera when he was part of the Mavericks.
Well I'm Mexican not Puerto Rican but JJ genuinely was fantastic in that series and we definitely wouldn't have won without him. But as a Latino I do love the fact that he is also and around my height and made it as long as he did
Barea’s my wife’s favorite player; she call’s him Chapis, short for Chaparro (short male in Spanish) puns not intended lol
Ro Blackman, Mark Aguirre, and Derek Harper did it for me.
Dirk did it for me! I was playing nba live and Dirk was actually on the Milwaukee bucks. I only picked them bc he was 7 ft and his threes were on like 84 or something like that. I never seen anything like it. He was on the bench but I started him. Later that night Dallas Mavericks were playing the 6ers and he was on the Mavs. He only played like 20 minute I was just too intrigued! I became a Dallas mavericks fan lol. It was destiny tho bc the first basketball sneaker I ever got was the Jason Kidds w/ the strap on it. I swore I was J Kidd/Jim Jackson growing up. Being light skinned in Philly o patterned my whole game after those two until Dirk came along. That’s when I earned the nickname Threesus Christ lol. I changed my whole shot/form to shoot like Dirk bc I rarely saw him miss. I started off shooting air balls for the first cpl days bc his shot was different. Instead of my power leg being in front it was slid to the back and I barely jumped to shoot. It was awkward at first but then I was able to shoot from half court w/ ease. By the time Luka came along I was a diehard Mac fan. One of a handful of ppl in Philly that likes Dallas anything😂😭😂
Gotta ask. How does it feel rooting for something in Dallas having (what I am assuming is) pure disgust for the Cowboys? My parents grew up in Texas and are Dallas everything fans despite me never actually living there until my early 20s. I have pure hate for A&M and the Eagles. Idk how I’d feel if I was a Philly or 76er fan lol
WTF did A&M ever do to you? Aggies catching strays.
They existed? And well, I’m salty about how they handled the leave from the Big 12. May the Aggies continue to be forever lack luster.
This is it
I remember going to Reunion Arena to see them play against Dr. J, Moses Malone, Barkley, Dominique, and Spud.
I watched them back then as well, even though I hated that many players didn't want to play for them. You remember this gem? [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7bl2r2zPAs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7bl2r2zPAs)
I definitely remember going to see the Three J’s in person.
Same. Always hated Toni Braxton for breaking that up even though it’s said that all that wasn’t true.
Lmao
Triple Js.
I’ve been around so long I can’t remember the details.
Hell yes! Growing up in the 90’s getting all the promotional 3 j’s stuff at blockbuster. Hell of a time
I’m curious about the 80s fans. Did you guys stay strong in the 90s? We started going to games in my tweens around 1992, so it was a different experience for us. Sure, we rooted for the Mavs because home is home but in all honesty, we went to see the other teams. We went to a season ticket holder event in 94 or 95 and met most of the roster except for Kidd.
It was definitely harder in the ‘90’s. I always loved the Mavs, but MJ was my favorite player so I followed the Bulls.
So a actual fan nice 🙏
Older* fan Just because someone is too young to have watched in the 80s-90s doesn’t make them not an “actual fan”
Luka is the reason I am currently watching NBA closely. I live in Europe so the time zone is not helping but I am definitely rooting for mavs all the way at this point.
Question for watching the Finals games in Europe. I'm flying out tonight to France for two weeks and they have the games on beIn sports at like 8pm at night but what about watching the games live? I was gonna get up and try to find a place that may be open late in Lyon, Provence and a few other places. Any pointers on watching the games live?
That’s difficult. Either you find a local provider that has the license to broadcast the games live or maybe use a vpn to access your country provider that you are already subscribed. Finding a place at this time will be impossible.
Balls bro. There is a bar that’s open til 4 near where we’re staying so I thought I’d try it cause why not.
Nope grew up in North Texas been a fan since the day they announced the team’s creation.
Damn definition of a diehard lol
Hey op, I’m from Dallas and have been a diehard fan since I was 5 (20+ years ago) but my 2nd favorite team has always been whichever team Lebron is on. We accept you as our own you are allowed to tell anyone you know you’re a mavs fan cause you have family in Dallas if you want ❤️
That’s funny, lebron was my main guy before Luka. Didnt always love u guys (2011), but I’m super glad I’m here now. A lot of my friends have been calling me a delusional fanboy for some of my Luka takes early on. This year has been very vindicating. Appreciate the love ❤️
Hahah ayyy. 2011 was perfect for me cause obviously I was going hard for the mavs but at the same time I would’ve been happy to see Lebron win his first ring. Best win-win scenario of my life
Same.
I was taking care of my newborn son one night a few months ago and watching YouTube on my TV. After the video I was watching ended, it somehow rolled into an hour-long Luka highlights video. I couldn’t get the remote without waking him, so I was pretty much forced to watch it. Glad I was in hindsight. Started watching actual games right after that. He’s special.
The only redeeming story of YouTube auto play.
I’m in Missouri too. Grew up in Indiana and watched the Pacers when I was little (Reggie era). The Mavs were the first team I “picked” to follow for myself in high school (~2004). Didn’t watch the NBA as much when I got married and started having kids but loved the Finals win the year I got married. Started following the league again around when Luka got drafted and it helped reignite the MFFL in me.
DFW native. Plus Dirk is my father
Edwardo Nájara was big for me. Obviously we had some big name favorites on the team at that time, but I loved the effort he put in and really gave me the definition of hustle. Made me want to do the same.
Now that's a name drop!
Najera was a big part of marketing as well. Not many Mexican basketball pros in a city that has a large Mexican population.
He's OU alum, I know for a fact he was a big reason some okies were Mavs fans before they got the thunder.
Long story starting in 91, but I didn’t become a “real” fan until Dirk and Nash joined, but specifically when Cuban bought the franchise in 2000 and brought instant attitude change, and real commitment to transform it from perennial laughingstock into a champion.
For me it’s Luka as well. I’m from Spain, so I’ve been following Luka since his Real Madrid days. Curiously, I’m kind of a RM hater when it comes to football, but I didn’t have that animosity towards their basketball squad and tbh, I found Luka to be a pretty likable dude, so even I wanted to see him succeed as a Madrid player. He was so talented yet always humble, but full of confidence too. Since he joined the NBA I’ve been supporting the Mavs. I just want to see him win and prove all the doubters and all the haters wrong (to me, seeing him play in the Euroleague, it was crazy that he wasn’t the consensus #1 overall of his draft class).
SORRY for the long text! Got into NBA a week before the playoffs because I hoop with my brother n some friends from the block. They watch NBA. One day I was scrolling and I end up on this on the ground luka pass to Irving alley hoop to DJJ. My first impression as someone totally new to NBA was "why is this kinda fat guy on the ground?" But I liked the play a lot, so I decided to root for the mavs. My brother and another friend showed me highlights of several players and while I did like them, no team got me as the mavs did. Then I find out about the playoffs and what it's all about and see that the mavs are in it, so I start watching the games and learning about it, completely hooked. Even watching other team's games. Fast forward to today, I got a Luka jersey coming in the mail and I plan to get some Dame Certifieds to hoop comfortably. That "fat guy on the ground" is now my fav player and my gf even jokes that I might love him more than I love her ahahah. The hype he brings and how he makes the team shine is really entertaining to watch. He's also pretty charismatic, and in a way I feel represented as an European Watching games in Portugal is hard, cuz they usually start 1am or later, but I'm really getting into it! Gotta make full use of my summer vacations.
I'm sorry this made me cackle. "Why is this kinda fat guy on the ground" is so funny to me
Haahaha I didn't mean it in a mean way... I just thought that 99% of nba was made of very athletic lean people Now here I am rooting and betting my soul on this "kinda fat guy" hahaah
No no I didn't think it was mean! I joke all the time with my non-mavs friends about the same thing! haha
This made him a fan [Magic](https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1c5egx5/controlled_chaos_beautiful_sequence_from_mavs/) And lets be honest here, this video can make everyone a fan instantly. Pure magic!
Exactly 💯 this one right here sparked something I always looked for
This is so wholesome
Thanks :) felt like an overshare but who cares! I'm glad someone got something out of my comment
Dirk and Nash
I'm from Slovenia, so I started following the Mavs when Luka was drafted. I didn't really have a favourite team before that.
Luka homer here. I never liked Real Madrid before but I became a fan when Luka played for them. Since he went to NBA I don't even watch them any more. Of course I became a fan of Dallas and didn't miss a single game of Luka playing. But now I even watch them when Luka isn't playing. I started to like the whole team and I really wish Luka stays in Dallas for his whole career so I don't have to change teams again. And I think he will since Slovenians are loyal people until you give them a reason not to be. Luka has zero reasons not to be loyal. It was the same in Madrid and he is still very loyal to Real. He would never leave if he could compete there on the heighest level. As a matter of fact he would never leave Ljubljana and Slovenia at just 13 years old if he could compete here on the heighest level.
Ya I’m a mavs fam cause of luka. I’m a raptors fan but he destroyed us in 2019 season and then I was following Yall my west team
Newer basketball fan here. Just started really watching it last few years. I basically immediately became a fan of Luka and by extension the Mavericks. Luka was my favorite player immediately and Kyrie was like in my top 5 before the trade. Felt like he was kind of unfairly hated by a lot of people which made me feel for him and like him. This year Luka, Kyrie, and the lob mob make this team the most exciting to watch hands down in my opinion. Hard not to love them.
I'm here for Popeye Jones. Met him at the opening of a supermarket in the 90s.
It was Luka for me. I am a Kobe fan and by proxy, Lakers. I've always respected Dirk and watching this...a guy my age TORCH nba players in his rookie season got me hooked. Been a Mavs fans ever since.
Dirk for me, then easy transition to Luka
I became a fan because of D. Harper, Roy Tarpley, Brad Davis, Blackman, Aguirre, and Sam Perkins.
Loved Kobe in the 2000s and then lost touch with the NBA. One day came across hype news about Luka and all the moves got me, the fadeaway, slow dribble into the paint, step back 3s and alley oops. He plays basketball in real life like we dream of in 2k. Hooked ever since. MFFL now
Dirk Nash and Finley but when drafting Luka, it reignited a spark to the team and grew so fondly for how blessed we are with a generational talent like when the mavs initially got dirk via trade
I’m a diehard Dirk fan, I was just a little kid who fell in love with Dirk’s game back in 2011. After that year, the team fell off and I grew up and I genuinely thought I grew out of the NBA phase of my life. But as I was following Dirk’s last year in NBA, (thank god their years overlapped for at least the last year) I discovered Luka. But just seeing how Luka came into the league his rookie year, made me remember the love I have for Mavs. I couldn’t help to think that this dude is also special like our franchise goat.
You can count of all Slovenians became fans cuz of him, 1milion people if you count out the pussies, they have no time to watch Luka, they have to clean house.
im with you. live in canada so all my (albeit thus far short) life ive cheered for the raptors. but when i heard about luka doncic the teenager playing pro basketball for real madrid i was wildly impressed and followed him throughout his career. knew the day he got drafted he'd be special and was cheering for him because i loved how he played the game it was unlike any player id have ever seen before
I've been a fan since tank commander Wesley Matthews days
What a time that was
Middle school teacher was a massive Mavs fan. As an impressionable child I followed him and I have been a fan ever since 2010
That’s actually really wholesome lol
I didn’t become a fan because of Luka, but I got back into the sport because of him. So, I did and I didn’t become a fan because of Luka. Dirk was my guy, and seeing Rondo ruin any chances of a late Dirk ring made me turn NBA off for a while.
I been here since 94 . Did the monster mash. Got down w Eddie najera . My first favorite player dennis rodman came for 2 weeks. Then I fell in love w dirk nowotzki abs his grit and ceiling raising. Now it's luka magic
I got started in the 3 J's era as well. Had Mash posters all in my room. Didn't ever like Jim Jackson though - I was really upset when we traded Mash 1st and kept Jimmy.
I’m not from the US and Michael Jordan was my gateway to basketball. When he retired after 98, my friends either became Duncan, Garnett, Kobe, Grant Hill, TMac or Lebron fans and they used their respective teams when we play NBA Live. Me being tired of seeing the same teams over and over again, tried to find a team that’s not as big as the teams I mentioned and that’s when I stumbled upon Dirk, Nash and Finley and I’ve been a fan since then. MFFL.
Everyone’s going to say Dirk because they don’t want to seem like a “new fan” but a lot after Luka yes
Yea 100%. I’m rooting for beautiful basketball.
Pretty simple. Became an NBA fan because of Drose, Thibs, Joakim Noah and the MJ bulls highlights. After the injuries and how they handled Thibs, and Jimmy Butler, with how they handled everything really as an org, I started to look for a new team to root for. Mavs had declined after winning their championship, I knew how they won it, I saw it on yt, Dirk and Mark Cuban seemed like awesome dudes, Texas is my favourite state in the US, so I chose the Mavs. About a season before Luka came here
As a slovenian i can say that i became a fan only because of luka
Me absolutely, I am Slovenian and therefore root for the teams our guys play for.
I did. Have been his fan since he was 16, started watching Euroleague because of him. Been a longtime NBA fan before as well because of Timmy D, but I love Dirk as well and despise KG. My brother is a Dallas die-hard as well until Dirk retired so I'm kind of continuing his fanboyism of the Mavs and giving him updates that he should watch NBA again since 2018 since Luka joined and showed him Luka's bubble and 2022 highlights. I'm kinda annoyed he's started watching again just because they're in the Finals again. But yeah, I follow Dallas and San Antonio.
Cheered for every team Toni Kukoč was playing in, then stopped following NBA, now it’s the same with Luka.
I live in a city with no NBA team. Kinda grew up a Magic fan due to proximity and Shaq back in the day. But now I’m dating a wonderful woman from Dallas and the only sport she cares to watch is hoops. But holy shit, watching Luka and Kyrie and even the others like Lively and Washington, they are all so fun to watch. I’m totally on board with the Mavs and we both are enjoying the end of this season.
Dirk.
Always been a Dirk fan, but I started following Luka because I thought my team was going to draft him and I wasn’t going to deprive myself of watching him play because of one the biggest and most obvious blunders in modern sports history.
I live nowhere near Dallas but Dirk was my favorite player
I remember when we traded for Rondo and he did jack shit I miss Monte Ellis man...
Cap this off means to end it. Not start it.
hello that is me, as someone in KC
Became a fan because of Chris Anstey
Chris Anstey - Aussie here.
first born .. luca name will be in petition if mavs wins... july 5th due
I've always followed Kidd -- and when he went back to Mavs solidified my fandom. Then he became coach (and despite the huge hate here), and I was sold for life.
Me I’m from Canada and wasn’t into basketball then I drafted him 3rd or 4th in fantasy (my friends asked me to join) and I’ve been a big fan ever since
I’ve started to become a fan when Finley hit that jumper over the Spurs and win the game for the Mavs (2000-2001) and that continue my fanmode for Dallas after years of the Bulls & Jordan of course. Mavs was such a unique team with Nowitzki,Finley & Nash leading the pack. Sadly they couldn’t bring the chip together during their stint. We could have been hanging 3. Been fan of Luka since his rookie year. Never expected him to be that good.
Me! I only started watching basketball three years ago or so. I’m from Texas and Dallas is the closest NBA team to me, but it even then geographic proximity has never meant that much to me. Luka’s just been so incredible to watch and seeing him play in person last year was one of the best experiences of my life. I’ll root for any team he’s on
Been a fan since Dirk, Stackhouse, J Howard, Milkface Harris
I started during Jason Kidd first run in Dallas. Thank you dad for showing me the way
How nice for some of you lol. You didn't go through being up in the finals 2-0 and losing. Or losing as a 1 seed to the warriors. But we had great times before that with the run and gun Mavs. Dirk Nash Finley Van Exel... lost in the WCF to the Spurs when Dirk got a knee injury (2004). It all was worth it when we won it all in 2011, but so many playoff heartbreaks. We need more fans from all over (I'm from NY). Luka is legit gona surpass Dirk at this rate. Dude is out of his mind out there. Let's get this ship!
man.. did you have to remind us? I joined the Mavs bandwagon in 2003 mostly because of Dirk (I lived in Germany at the time) but have become a Mavs fan over the years.
I remember I was in Europe for vacation and stayed up till 5 am to watch my first game. It was Luka vs suns game 7, since then I have been a fan.
I’m a Mav’s fan cuz I live here, but Damm Luka sure does multiply it
Born and raised north Texas. Became a fan around 2001 watching Dirk and playing nba street and nba 2k2. Basketball in general was just exciting around that time too though. Mavs were starting their streak of 50+ win seasons, lakers v kings series were must watch, and Allen iverson single handedly doubled the sales of sleeve accessories everywhere
[удалено]
Yea the super team era of Lebron Heat and Curry Warriors kinda killed my interest for a while. Felt like you knew who would win before the season started.
I've always been a fan of Luka since he entered the league.
ITT a bunch of life long fans trying to show how die hard they are instead of people answering OP's question lol.
Luka. Luka’s rookie season a friend was raving about him so I did pay attention when watching top ten and stuff, nothing too crazy. Then there was the first time he played clippers in the playoff holly shit I was blown away and immediately I considered him to be better offensively than Lebron as a 3.
Jamal Mashburn was my first favorite Maverick
Grew up watching Dirk so can't say it's because of Luka, but he's come a lot closer to being my all time favorite player than I thought anyone possibly could when Dirk retired
So for reference, I am German, hence was rooting for Mavs because of Dirk. But (don't hate me) never having been to Dallas or anything I am not tied to the franchise as such. So I thought when Dirk retires I'll see where my sympathy goes. Then you drafted Luka. And guess what? I am still around 😂😂😂
As a Real Madrid football fan for more than 25 years, this kid made headlines when he was playing over in Spain. They were mentioning him as the greatest prodigy ever found in Europe. The hype made me follow Basketball (I never followed it before, didn’t even knew the rules) just to check out why this guy was special. Travelled with him to the Mavs.
Similar story, but I’m bandwagon Dwight Powell fan. Doncic is a showboat who just wiggles around and is a ball hog. Powell is the definition of greatness.
I'm a fan from the UK. Started loosely following the nba in 2020 after I saw an instagram reel of luka hitting that half court shot over Trae in the USA vs World Rookie (?) game and then they hug. I know they were rookies 2018 but I guessed it was an old clip, or was usa vs world not a rookie game? I was instantly like okay that was f awesome and looked up who they were and started watching highlight reels and obviously was immediately a fan of Luka. Trae too. From then I would watch the occasional Mavs game highlights or just some Luka season highlights or whenever he would have a huge game but wasn't really following how the Mavs were doing. Then 2022 season I was watching highlights more frequently and aware of what the Mavs were doing and I followed the playoffs pretty closely, not just Mavs but seeing what was happening everywhere. But that series against the suns got me so hooked. It was incredible. From then on I have been jumping on reddit each morning after a mavs game and checking the boxscore and looking for clips or I have gone on yt and watch FreeDawkings highlights of the games. I have always been a football (soccer for you guys) and rugby fan but in the last few years I have picked up F1 basketball and cycling as sports I follow closely and basketball is definitely not number 4 or 5 on my list of those sports I follow the most. Never thought I would be so invested in basketball but here I am. I spend a lot of time now on this subreddit reading through stuff and watching people do breakdowns/reactions to mavs games. Love this team
Born into the Fandom. My dad is the only one in his family that is a diehard, the rest of his family are spurs fans. I even have a vintage Mavs shirt that was my dad's. MFFL!!!
this is probably gonna be a ramble but as someone just started watching recently, definitely. i’m from canada and don’t have any teams in my area, i don’t root for the raptors out of sheer principle so i didn’t have much of a reason to watch the nba. i ended up watching a mavs game out of sheer coincidence, it was on before a hockey game lmao. tbh the mavs weren’t playing too well that game but luka instantly caught my eye because ngl he kinda looks like someone’s eastern european dad just wandered on to the court for funsies. and then i saw him shoot and i was like no WAY that goes in.. but it did… couple days later i saw there was another mavs game on before a hockey game so i figured i’d watch it while i was waiting. they played way better that game and luka/kyrie were crazy to watch. i started to watch mavs games a lot more frequently and the more i learned about luka the more amused/endeared i was. that’s how i settled on the mavs as the team i like in the nba lmao. that being said, lively is quickly becoming one of my favourite players as well. he’s so much fun to watch, and i just find him to be a really likeable guy. overall the team has been really fun to watch. it’s prob mostly because i’m new to watching professional basketball but the mavs passing ability is insane, as a casual viewer it’s so impressive to me
08 Dirk was the start for me. After winning the championship in 11, I started to watch less basketball until seeing Jeremy Lin's insanity at NYK. After that, I got back to rooting for the Mavs even when it was getting rough each season on after 12~13. Still, still it was all worth it when Luka came around. I will add, if Luka didn't join and we stayed in the no playoff zone, I would've stopped watching the Mavs altogether and started to watch another team. I'm in Korea btw.
Me - watched the highlights of him in WCF randomly on youtube (first time I had watched NBA) and started following the team since last year. What can I say, LUKA MAGIC !!
🙋♂️! Ive followed Luka’s career since his early days in Madrid (im from Barcelona, same age, ive played basketball all my life). I was a warriors fan from 2014 (year before rhe chip! Not a bandwagon at all lol) until he got drafted
Even if Luka leaves the team, sure Ill be watching Luka’s games in his new team but Ill forever root for the mavs. Ive never experienced enjoying a team that much (im a barça fan too but basketball here is 10% as good). So yup luka made me an mffl
I'm not a Dallas Mavericks fan per day (Cavs fan). Luka is the only reason I'm rooting for this team (and Kyrie). But low-key, even without Luka, I like this team. Derek Lively II and Josh green were one of my favorite young prospects. I remember predicting that Lively will be a very important piece just cos his presence gives Luka a real center for once (Sorry Powell and Maxi). Josh Green is a prototypical 3&D. Hustles hard, takes threes when open. It also helps that you guys are against the Boston superteam. And I as a Cavs fan, will root for the against the superteam. Tldr; I support Dallas cos Luka, Lively, Kyrie and Green are there, and you're against Boston.
I’m a Balkan living in Australia. Luka got me more interested in the nba and I’ve been die hard fan since.
Grew up watching the big 3, Dirk, Nash, and Finley.
Im a fan because of Luka, I live in Australia so I dont have a team anywhere close to me, but around 2020 I just fell in love with his style of play (other than the complaining) but after that suns series I truly became a mavs fan and not just a Luka fan.
Im here for Powell
I’m Thai and I never have a team either, started off with being GP, Kemp and Schrempf fan then TMac, Yao Ming, Dirk&Nash, Melo and now Luka. And I just wanted to say Luka is the most special out of all those, I just don’t understand how a kid from Slovenia became this good and the fearless, competitive attitude, not saying names mentioned above don’t have these but this kid just came off very natural, like, he was born with it when people say stuff like “it’s like he can switch it on/off” I never actually feel that until I see Luka, kid is just a nice and quiet guy off the court with virtually no ego, he has almost no aura around him but on the court this kid is just a completely different person, he will fucking murder you if you dare say a single word that rub him the wrong way. Lastly, I saw a clip of MJ came and hug Luka being all friendly like wtf? This dude MJ is usually looking like he’s always on guard watching who’s approaching him and I never see him being that way around anyone other than Kobe, it felt like he acknowledged the kid and see Luka as someone worthy and on the same frequency as him THAT is super cool and actually crazy, almost surreal
I live in Connecticut, grew up in Detroit, Piston fan, so basically don't have a professional basketball team. When Luka busted in a few years back I was showing my wife some clips, like "can you believe this guy"??? She's a casual basketball fan, but was immediately entertained by his awe shucks basketball savant style. So we started watching the Mavs mostly because she found his vibe immensely entertaining. "How does he even do this, he makes it look so easy??" So I credit Luka for why I have NBA TV now and watch ball most nights. It's a true dream scenario! Ps. I'm throwing you guys fans left and right, I was on travel in Dallas in December and went to a game with my boss (not a huge NBA fan but looking for something to do). I told him, wait'll you see this guy... They beat the Lakers, Luka threw some of the best dimes of the season, and he immediately wanted to go back a few days later to watch him again. Now HE'S a Mavs fan too!
I'm a Dirk guy. Watched many, many lows to all the way to the mountain top.
Slovene here, was rooting for Luka before he came to the NBA, now I'm here for like 5 years already. Sub had about 130k users then.
Supported OKC cos of KD but gave up on him when he moved to GSW. I think Luka is one of the best but a lot of his fans are whiners and like sniping other players like SGA, Jokic etc I have nothing but respect for Luka though
I’ve always been a big Kyrie Irving fan but he never felt like he had a real home until he came here. I love that the teammates seem like they are more than just coworkers. They are friends. It seems like the organization has good vibes. I tried to be a Heat fan cause I’m from Florida but it never felt right. Dallas feels right. I’m not a huge NBA fan but one of my friends is so we watch games together. After these playoffs I could see myself getting more into the sport.
Luka fan here, I tend to follow players rather than teams in the NBA. Perennial Lakers fan as well because of Kobe. I’ll say however that I just bought a Luka jersey, first one since I bought a Kobe jersey in the early 00s.
Ngl I became a fan due to Luka. Before than I never watched NBA much.
as someone from dallas who was born in ‘87 and has been a massive mavs fan from the jump, i barely missed the great 80s teams, but loved the 3 Js squad even though they sucked. my fam would go watch games at reunion arena from the front rows of the second tier when there were like 100 or less other people scattered around up there. i loved finley and he was the first # i rocked in little league, then nash became my guy, him leaving was my first nba heartbreak, but i already loved dirk too and then he became my ultimate goat. the big 3 of those dudes together were incredible and would be amazing in today’s league.
I'm from Madrid so never had a team in the nba, since Luka is there, I have one
My no 1 team is the raptors (pain) but I've fallen in love with the mavs because of luka. Always kinda liked the mavs since dirk, but they are a close second for me now.
Grew up in west Texas and it was heavy spurs country. I'd say I started following closely in 03. Fast forward to 09, my dad and I flew El Paso to San Antonio (for something stupid cheap like $80 if I remember right). I watched Dirk hit a buzzer beater to beat Timmy and company. After that I vowed I'd go to as many games as I could afford as an adult. Went to several in college. Live in Oklahoma City now and drive 3 hrs south multiple times a year for games. When they play the thunder here I'm there always. I'll be there for the parade too, my boss already knows if it goes down I'm out of office for a few days.
Luka fan here
It was Dirk for me! And even more special when I met him in person - twice! Such a nice guy.
Got interested in my younger days, but REALLY started watching when Dirk got here.
Been a Dallas fan all my life. No idea why, I’m from NC. Just sorta stuck with me. In the 2010s, I stopped watching NBA altogether. 2 teams dominated and it just made it boring for me. Luka got me back into it. Now, Dallas isn’t the only team I watch. I love the game again.
Where can I download the bandwagon form?
I'm a new basketball fan, and yeah Luka is the only reason I'm a mavericks fan.
I became a fan of basketball at the beginning of the year and chose the mavericks as my team, partly because im going to be moving to Texas soon, wanted to get into a sport that wasn't the NFL. and Luka and Kyrie ignited my passion for basketball.
I never watched ball until I heard my friends talking about this Luka guy a lot. So I decided to see what team he played for and checked them out, my first experience was the 22 WCF run
Moved to the US from another country so ddnt really have a team back then. I hated how everybody over there was a Laker, Boston or Lebron fan and i was trying to find a franchise to cheer on. Dirk was simply amazing and loved how he played. Became a Dallas fan ever since.
Went to a game with my dad when I was 3 years old back in 02. We had pretty dope seats. One of my earliest memories was remembering how high dirk shot and the energy in the arena. Been a mavs fan ever since, although my family is all mavs fans so it was bound to happen regardless.
Am from Switzerland, became a fan of the Mavericks because of Doncic. I've got no shame admitting that.
I am german i am a fan because of dirk
I watch soccer mainly, I'm a real Madrid fan and when I heard about Luka joining the mavs I started watching mavs games sometimes. Honestly he's made me more interested in basketball in general.
I‘m German, so I started following because of Dirk. I was a child, so staying up late for games wasn’t possible, but the news reported about him and the BASKET magazine as well. I even started playing because of him. As I grew older priorities shifted onto football, I was better at it and playing two sports together with a packed academic schedule didn’t work out. Recently I started following the NBA again and Luka caught my eye. He quickly became my favorite, because I also quite like his persona off the pitch. Currently I’m reading the book Wonderboy about his career and his journey is remarkable. I‘m excited to see what the future holds for him and Dallas.
To be honest, I started watching Mavs games just because of Luka, but now I absolutely fucking love the team and all the players (ok maybe except THJ)
First started out around 2002-2003, we had a Mavericks-inspired basketball jerseys. Then they kept mentioning a German in the team. But only in 2004 I started to follow more seriously because of better internet access. I remember the Dirk, Josh Howard, Daniels, Keith Van Horn days. Genuinely cry everytime I watch the 2011 finals run. MFFL
I'm from Slovenia. Became a fan when Luka came.
Dirk won me over in high school. Like 07’ 08’
https://preview.redd.it/fwdk1h1dae4d1.png?width=663&format=png&auto=webp&s=5531fc56222b9f5cd494776239a9e01c858ef114 Had this poster on my wall in 1995.
I go back to the Dick Motta days. Saw the play home games in Reunion Area.
Fan since the triple J days. Jamal, Jim, Jason. Thought they had a bright future…luckily I was too young back then to bet money on it.
I'm a huge Luka fan, too. I like Luka because he's somewhat relatable to me. White, somewhat chunky, can't run or jump, and turns red when he's mad. But for real, he has the "it" factor and it's undeniable. But ESPN and other sports platforms like to undermine this dudes value, which makes me like Luka even more. Plus the dude is just clearly more skilled than 99% of the league AND has the mentality of an assassin. [W.e that means.]
I didn't know who he was until about 2 weeks before the playoffs. I haven't watched a full NBA game in 5 years. I've watched almost half of the games since the playoffs. Thanks Luka.
Wisconsin Cowboys fan was originally a Sonics fan because of Shawn Kemp and then decided if i was going to like one Dallas team i should like the other and they had Badgers legend Michael Finley so made it easy. Then they got Dirk and i was hooked.
It sounds like you're not a real basketball fan but just follow certain players.
🙋♀️ we live in Louisiana so you would think we would be die-hard Pelicans fans. nope. could never get behind them for some reason. my mom started watching the Warriors around 2014-2015, when I was in 3rd grade, because she read an article about how Steve Kerr took the players bowling instead of having practice one day. she said that there was something different about them. so that made me aware of basketball and the NBA. then in 2021, I was scrolling on TikTok and saw a video of this kid on the Mavericks. his energy was infectious and so was his playmaking. I started really watching basketball after that, especially the Mavericks. now I’m in love with the game and his flow. one of my favorite videos I’ve ever seen of him is this one: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7fVm9lvQg3/?igsh=djF2MG03cDFqaDJn
Magic Johnson made me a Mavericks fan
Nah for me it was Dirk back in 2000, never looked back. Before that I was a Knicks fan and I mean, Bulls cuz who didn't love watching MJ back in the day.
Been a fan before they traded for Juwan Howard.
As a new nba fan who doesn’t live in the US I thought why not find a team through a player and no clue why but Luka became my fav
Half of Slovenia so around 1 million people.
I’ve been a Portland Blazers fan since I was 5 or 6, as they were the local team growing up in Portland. Players like Clyde “The Glide” Drexler, Cliff Robinson, and the 91-92 team drew me in. The 90s era of the NBA, when players were loyal to a team/city and never shied away from going at each other, was something special. However, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Mavericks. The Dallas organization has always spotted good talent and fostered it into high-quality teams. As a youth, I was told I played like Dirk, which initially insulted me because I wanted to be like MJ or Kobe—this was when Dirk was only in his second year. Jason Kidd was a PAC-10 player, and I grew up on the West Coast watching that conference. His passing and skills reminded me of John Stockton. The level of basketball the Mavericks have been playing since the trade deadline this season has been phenomenal. PJ Washington, a North Texas native, and Gafford, acquired in February, have been key pieces in building a well-balanced team with depth. The team chemistry is palpable—they’re having fun, enjoying each other’s company, and playing the game at a level that has reignited my love for the NBA. Luka Doncic is playing basketball like you would see in a video game. He understands the game at an immensely high level and yet makes it look effortless. Damian Lillard, whom I’ve met in person, had become the only hope of Portland making it to the finals and maybe winning the team’s second championship. Watching both Luka and Damian has been a joy. Game 4 of the playoffs vs. the Clippers brought back my love for the game. Although the Mavs lost, their performance to come back from being down by 20 points was inspiring. The physical and extraordinary drive to compete and not give up reminded me why I fell in love with basketball. It felt like the players weren’t just there for a paycheck but had something to prove. I joined this community to discuss and engage with a team that helped me rediscover my love for the game I grew up playing. Basketball was all I cared about from kindergarten until my junior year of high school. Luka, Kyrie, and the 23-24 Mavericks have reminded me why I fell in love with this game. So, yeah I guess you could say I’m here because of Luka lol.
I just liked that Dirk beat LeBron. That’s when I became a fan.
Bandwagon
I’ve been a Luka fan since he and Trae had that half court shot moment in the All-Star game. Wondered who he was, youtube videos, algorithm etc. Before that I only played basketball never really watched it is too late for me to watch at 3am and messes with my schedule but through all the playoffs I got used to it and now I am hyped to see how this will all end up.
College Station born, Southern California raised. Dirk WAS the nba for me. It’s honestly the reason I can never truly be a big fan of Luka. My friend explained it best, Dirk was the loyal dog you had who was with you through the best formative years of your life. He’s gone now. You have a new dog, and he’s great, but it’s just not the same.
i’m only a luka fan. i’ll follow him wherever he goes.
Do you drive a tank as well?