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[Saba Sports News] The Dallas Mavericks are scrambling to clarify that they didn’t disrespect Luka Doncic—at least not any more than they already have.
Dallas stirred controversy earlier this week with a hype video promoting their first game after the All-Star break. The video, which featured game footage, appeared to be edited to erase all traces of Doncic, who was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers weeks ago.
Fans quickly noticed that clips of Doncic seemed grayed out or awkwardly covered with an oversized Mavericks logo, sparking backlash. Screenshots of the questionable edits soon went viral.
In response to the uproar, the team attempted to set the record straight. Rapper Dorrough, who starred in the video and provided the song featured in it, took to social media to address the situation.
He denied any intention of removing or disrespecting Doncic, insisting that the edits in question were made to exclude other former Mavericks—not the Slovenian superstar.
“As a lifelong Mavericks fan and someone who takes great pride in the game of basketball, I would never be part of anything intended to remove, censor, or disrespect Luka Doncic,” Dorrough wrote.
“To clear up any confusion, Luka was not censored from the video. The edits in question involved other former players who are no longer on the roster. The video was produced by my team with the intention of energizing and uniting Mavericks fans, and there was never any intent to erase any player’s contributions to the franchise. Luka is and always will be a part of Mavericks history.”
Even if Dorrough’s explanation holds up, the video’s clumsy editing made it seem like a clear effort to erase Doncic. Meanwhile, other former Mavericks, such as Josh Green and Maxi Kleber, were still fully visible in the footage, adding to the confusion.
The timing couldn’t have been worse, as fans are still fuming over the team’s handling of the Doncic trade—some even protesting during games. Though the Mavericks have since deleted the video, the damage appears to be done. Again.