The jerseys are ironed. The blue carpet is out. Our hype-energy sits at Level-10. The day has finally arrived. Like, officially official this time. One more time for the people in the back: LET’S GO MAVS! Anyway, to get you all primed and ready to drop some Mavs’ knowledge on your co-workers and fam, I assembled five totally-biased-but-important-key-notes to guide you through opening night!
1. Do it for the Gram! The Dallas Mavericks Party on the Plaza Returns
The famous blue carpet and player walls are back for the Dallas Mavericks Party on the Plaza, where it’s always poppin’ outside the American Airlines Center! It’s the perfect place to bring your family and it’s open to all fans “to get rowdy, proud and loud for the game” and will include food and drink specials (thanks Budweiser), life-size board games, photo booths, and a live pregame broadcast from FOX Sports Southwest. There will also be a live DJ and other special appearances.
Details: Starts at 5pm | FREE | Open to everyone
2. The Mavs are innovating the entertainment experience for the 2019-20 season
There will be new entertainers at the game tonight and fans of NBC’s World of Dance might recognize some of their favorite television stars! The world’s largest dance entertainment community, World of Dance, will be showcased at the American Airlines Center for 30 select home games, as well as participate in local Mavs community initiatives.
Super Cr3w and Chapkis are scheduled to perform tonight. Team proprietor Mark Cuban said it’s a cutting-edge move to bring World of Dance to the NBA stage.
“I am a huge fan of World of Dance. Their choreographies and productions are world renowned and far beyond anything ever presented at a professional sporting event,” Cuban said.
3. New lights and Dirk silhouettes showcased on the court
If you haven’t been out to a game during the preseason, you’re in for some surprises. For starters, the AAC court features a new design with Nowitzki silhouettes on both ends of the court, and the lights glow with a brighter hue. New LED lights were installed, giving the Mavs production team more adaptive control on the fly. And that’s not all! Fans will also see a new projection system with 3D effects, adding to one of the best show experiences in the NBA.
4. The Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis Era Begins
All that remains is for this dynamic duo to put the pedal firmly to the metal and begin what the Dallas Mavericks believe will be the beginning of something very special. Read the full story: here.
It’s a challenge for which Porzingis can’t wait. The 24-year-old hasn’t played in a regular season game since Feb. 6, 2018 when he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament. At the time, Porzingis was playing for the New York Knicks, who subsequently traded him to the Mavs on Jan. 31, 2019, and now he’s eager to jump back in the saddle.
“You can tell he’s hungry to get back out there,” guard Seth Curry said of Porzingis. “I can relate to him in how he missed the game for over a year.
5. A celebration of players and fans worldwide
This season is extra special because the Dallas Mavericks boast players from eight different countries/territories, bridging us with fans from all over the world. The countries represented are Australia, Canada, Germany, Latvia, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Slovenia and the United States. The average age of the team is 26 years old; the oldest player is JJ Barea (35) and the youngest is Doncic (20). Barea is the longest-tenured, starting his 13th NBA season this year, followed by Courtney Lee with 11 seasons under his belt.
Throughout the season, MFFLs from all over the world will arrive from international destinations. According to Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall, the organization champions a desire “to share our love of basketball across the world and into future generations.”
On that note, if you get a moment during the game, take a quick glance under the basket, where you’ll see many of the Mavs Academy Ballkids hard at work. Each year, over 90 youth from across the Metroplex are chosen by the Mavs Basketball Academy because of their extraordinary leadership skills and the organization is extremely proud of their accomplishments.
HAPPY GAME NIGHT! SEE YOU SOON MFFLS (in my yelling, game-ready voice)
@TamaraJolee
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