Image: Seating was wide open at Chop Sports Victory Plaza 30 minutes before tip-off for the Mavs and Grizzlies game on Friday, March 7.
Seating was wide open at Chop Sports Victory Plaza 30 minutes before tip-off for the Mavs and Grizzlies game on Friday, March 7.
Emma Ruby
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As Kyrie Irving hobbled to the free-throw line to take his last two shots of the season on Monday, March 3, the crowd at the American Airlines Center grew quiet. Yes, it was out of respect, but throw in a bit of stunned silence as well. Those two free throws felt like the proverbial nails in the Mavericks' coffin for the season. In the third quarter, the Mavs were outscored 34-16, and fans started heading to the exits like the fire alarm was ringing.
click to enlarge kyrie irvng dallas mavs
Kyrie Irving gets helped off the court after sinking two free-throws and a season-ending injury.
Lauren Drewes Daniels
One person who stayed around, presumably to finish her popcorn, started yelling, "Fi-re! Ni-co!" between stuffing handfuls into her mouth. Others chimed in from around the arena. It's the chant heard across Dallas ever since Luka Doncic became a Laker.
Later that week, the Mavs returned to the AAC on Friday night to face the Memphis Grizzlies. Thirty minutes before tip-off, almost every seat at the bar in Chop Sports Victory Park, located in front of the arena, was vacant. A server said the previous night, when the Stars played, every seat was taken and standing room was shoulder to shoulder.
"Thank God we still have the Stars," they said.
At Billy Can Can, a popular pregame dinner spot and top 100 restaurant, business on Mavs game days is down. The general manager, Herman, said that turnout for the Stars is better.
"We still love them [the Mavericks], and many everyday fans are still here, but business is definitely down 15-20% for the Mavs games," Herman said.
Step-Back Three-Pointers and Good Times
Harwood Arms is a fun English-style pub within walking distance of the AAC, and also a top 100 restaurant. Last year on May 24, we headed that way after a Stars game to watch the end of Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals; the Mavs were in Minnesota. The place was packed. It was cold outside but warm and dim inside. All eyes were on the TVs overhead.
The Mavs were down by two points with 5 seconds left in the game and Luka, wearing an all-black Mavs jersey, sunk a step-back three-pointer to win it. Doncic screamed, taunting Rudy Gobert, who he just sailed his shot over, as the bar went absolutely wild. It was one of the best sports memories we'll ever have. Jumping up and down, shoulder to shoulder with strangers, screaming like ... our franchise player just sunk a step-back three-pointer to win Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.
Nothing beats winning. Alas, we've digressed.
Back to last Monday's game — before Kyrie's season-ending injury — the difference in the pub was stark and painful. Fans had their pick of seats at Harwood Arms. We're optimists, but it was half-empty an hour before tip-off. There wasn't the usual trail of people walking over to the game or big blobs of fans waiting at the crosswalks. Ironically, the Mavericks announced that day that season ticket prices will rise an average of 8.61% for the 2025-2026 season.
Harwood Arms manager Stephanie Gaska says that she's noticed something interesting since the Doncic trade: more people are showing up to watch Lakers games.
It's hard to say if attendance at games is down because of third-party ticket sellers; all the tickets to every game are sold, but there's no way to track the seats that are occupied, so far as we know.
But outside the arena, the bars and restaurants seem to be hurting. I called HERO, which is on PNC Plaza in front of the AAC, and asked if they've seen a drop in business since the Doncic trade: they hung up on me. Fair enough. Black Tap Craft Burgers and Beer put me on hold and left me there. I get it. We're all trying to deal with this now.
The Lakers play the Denver Nuggets in the Mile High City this Friday, March 14. That'll be a fun game with Nikola Jokic fresh off his no-big-deal, shrugs-it-off 30-20-20, the first in NBA history. He and Doncic will likely put on a show to make all Slavics proud.
The Mavs are out of town, playing Houston that night, so Harwood Arms could be packed.