Exclusive: Ejected Mavericks Fans and Mark Cuban Speak on Controversy from OT Loss Against Kings
Amid Luka Dončić's trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks grapple with fan ejections and controversy during a tense game against the Sacramento Kings.
DALLAS — Emotions have run high after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers. Four fan ejections sparked controversy during Monday’s overtime 129-128 loss against the Sacramento Kings. This came within the week that over 1,000 fans gathered at the Dirk Nowitzki statue before the Mavericks’ first home game since the Dončić trade to express their displeasure.
The Mavericks say four total fans were ejected. One incident involved two fans, Chris Taylor and Garrett Bussey, who were ejected during overtime and went viral for an interaction that involved Maverick minority owner Mark Cuban. They each shared their perspective with DallasHoopsJournal.com about the situation.
Before getting into the details, it’s essential to understand the procedures in place. The NBA has a Fan Code of Conduct policy with guidelines intent on fostering a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable sports and entertainment experience.
The Mavericks shared their perspective on these incidents in a statement with DallasHoopsJournal.com, citing violations of the NBA Code of Conduct.
Ejection One
Two fans held signs that combined to read “Fire Nico” before being ejected. One of the fans also participated in an in-game karaoke contest and mouthed the same message.
Mavericks’ Explanation: In the first incident, the guest brought in a sign that broke the following rule included in the NBA Code of Conduct: “Clothing, garments or signs displaying explicit language, profanity or derogatory characterization towards any person(s).”
Ejection Two
One fan, Chris Taylor, chanted, “Fire Nico!” while his friend, Garrett Bussey, wore a T-shirt that included Mavericks majority owner Miriam Adelson with a clown nose. Both fans were escorted out of the American Airlines Center with ushers, and Dallas Police Department offers.
Late in the game, team minority owner Mark Cuban engaged with Taylor, resulting in a viral interaction. Cuban communicated to Taylor to “shut the f**k up” and “sit the f**k down.”
Mavericks’ Explanation: In the second incident, the fan wore a T-shirt that broke the above rule and was intoxicated, disruptive, and uncooperative, all listed in the NBA Fan Code of Conduct.
Taylor, who wore Dončić’s Slovenian national team jersey, told DallasHoopsJournal.com that he wasn’t wearing anything offensive and had no sign. He chanted, “Fire Nico!”
“My friend had a shirt on of Miriam Adelstein with a clown nose, but I was wearing a Slovenian Blue 77 jersey and a beanie,” Taylor told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I wasn’t wearing anything offensive, nor did I have a sign. But the fact that they approached us right after Cuban was yelling at us tells you everything you need to know. A video just showed up on Twitter that shows me chanting “Fire Nico!” right before Cuban starts yelling, but Cuban was trying to say [in a statement] that we were booing, and that is a flat-out lie.”
Bussey described how security pushed him while escorting him out of the American Airlines Center, which he stated caused him to tweak his leg. He explained that he sought assistance to get to his vehicle after but was told to leave the property.
“I disclosed that I had a surgically repaired leg to security and the officers, but they still pushed me and caused me to tweak my leg,” Bussey told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “I was limping out of the concourse, and when I asked for assistance to get to my car, they denied it and told me to get off the property. In the video, as I am walking up the stairs towards the top, the officer puts his hand on my back, and I turn around and attempt to show him the scar on my leg after he had yelled, ‘Your leg’s fine.’ I was then pushed again through the hallway after I was out of sight of all the fans and then out the door while I was limping.”
Taylor recorded a video of his and Bussey’s ejection, including his interactions with the arena staff.
Cuban detailed his perspective on the situation, stating he heard booing while the Mavericks tried to close out a hard-fought game. He wanted people to sit down and not make noise while the Mavericks had the ball in clutch time and shot free throws.
“Fans were booing during crunch time while we had the ball and while we were shooting [free throws]. I wanted to see why,” Cuban told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “So I looked where they were looking to see why they were booing. When the guy (it was just one) saw me, he started screaming at me. I had no idea what he said, but he was obviously mad. He was at least 25 rows away. He couldn’t hear anything I said. But it was clear what I was saying. You have seen the video of me. I'm obviously not yelling. I'm not even saying anything out loud. He was nowhere near me. So, there was no way he or anyone could hear me. There was no point in yelling. I didn't care what he was saying. He was saying it the whole game. I cared that fans were booing him while we had the ball in crunch time or were shooting [free throws]—the time when they should be silent or cheering for the Mavs. That's why I was pointing to try to get him to sit down so the booing at him would stop. That was it. The whole thing was less than a single possession.”
Regarding fan signs and T-shirts with messaging that have resulted in ejections, Cuban says fans can be ejected if it’s determined they could cause a disturbance.
“Even if you aren't violating the code of conduct, if you are doing something that could create a disturbance, then they can remove you. No matter what you say,” Cuban told DallasHoopsJournal.com. “If they think it could create a disturbance or lead to other fans not being able to watch the game. You can be removed.
“There is a lot of hell you can raise without violating the specific code as written. The discretion is always to make sure the fans are safe. And they get to enjoy the game,” Cuban added to DallasHoopsJournal.com. “So let’s say you had an innocent fire [someone] shirt, if security thinks they could lead to someone reacting violently or belligerently, they can take action. We have asked people to turn a jersey of the other team inside out or give them a replacement shirt or whatever because we thought they could be in a difficult position because of it. We don’t allow political signs either there have always been limits. Does anyone really think we should just ignore the possibility that something could happen or fans might not be able to enjoy the game simply because it isn’t a literal violation of the code?”
The Mavericks have two home games left before the NBA All-Star break, beginning with Wednesday’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Head coach Jason Kidd didn’t participate in a postgame press conference less than a week after general manager Nico Harrison didn't address the media during the team’s introductory press conference for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and Caleb Martin.
Fans’ frustrations are not going away as the fallout from the Dončić trade continues. Sign confiscations and ejections will likely continue as a 28-26 team that made a shocking trade tries to stay afloat in the Western Conference standings. The team is grappling with injuries to key players, including Davis, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford.
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It’s been a tough week for Mavs fans