The saga between Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks added another chapter this week when a massive new poster of the superstar was spotted right outside American Airlines Center, just days after ownership reportedly had a different billboard removed.
Luka Dončić takes over Dallas with a giant “Cowboys Never Die” billboard 👀 right on Nowitzki Way by the American Airlines Center
(Via @IsaacLHarris ) pic.twitter.com/yvav9aAGLs
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 1, 2025
The ad, stretching across Nowitzki Way, carries the bold caption “Cowboys Never Die” with Luka’s full face dominating the frame. For a city still processing his blockbuster trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, the sight was impossible to ignore.
The controversy began when a digital billboard for Overwatch 2, featuring Luka’s likeness and the same tagline, went up in Dallas as part of a nationwide promotional push for the video game.
The Mavericks, according to reports, intervened and requested the ad be moved, arguing it was “too close” to the arena and too direct a reminder of the franchise icon they had traded away. For many fans, the move felt like an act of pettiness rather than business, especially given Doncic’s status as the most beloved player in team history since Dirk Nowitzki.
That decision didn’t stop Luka’s face from reappearing in an even more visible way. The new poster, larger and more striking than the original digital board, is planted directly in the shadow of the Mavericks’ home court. Unlike the earlier design that only showed half of Doncic’s face, this version leans into his celebrity.
His eyes cut through the image, his crown as the “Cowboy” cemented with words that double as a parting shot to the Mavericks’ ownership: no matter where he plays, his presence in Dallas isn’t going away.
For Mavericks fans, the billboard drama has only poured salt in the wound. Many are still furious about the February trade that sent Luka to Los Angeles to team up with LeBron James.
“Fire Nico” chants aimed at general manager Nico Harrison echoed throughout last season, and the sight of Doncic’s smiling face now hovering over their arena feels like a daily reminder of what they lost. Social media reactions ranged from anger at ownership to outright celebration of Luka for continuing to claim space in the city that once adored him.
What makes the situation even more complicated is timing. The Mavericks may have stumbled into a brighter future after winning the draft lottery and selecting generational talent Cooper Flagg with the number one pick.
Dallas now has a new cornerstone to build around, but even Flagg’s promise can’t erase Doncic’s impact on the franchise. He delivered record-breaking performances, carried the team deep into playoff runs, and gave Mavericks fans hope they had another Dirk-like player to carry them for decades.
Instead, the present reality is a Luka billboard towering over the arena he no longer calls home. For Dallas, it represents the tension between moving forward with a new star and the lingering shadow of the one who got away.
