And the crowd went wild.
Once Luka Dončić, Daniel Gafford and Naji Marshall walked onto the court at Mercy Street in West Dallas on Friday afternoon, it was a surreal moment for the 120 kids and their parents who were on hand for this festive occasion.
“You should have seen their faces when they walked in,” said Brian Roy, the director of sports operations at Mercy Street. “It was a surprise to have everybody here, and to get a chance to meet what is probably one of the top five, top three basketball players in the whole world – top one basketball player in the whole world – to show them what’s possible in the city of Dallas, I think it’s a huge inspiration.
“And then to show them that (the kids are) important enough for the Mavs to want to invest and bring someone like that here, I think it communicates that you’re important, you’re valuable, and that’s ultimately what we’re trying to do at Mercy Street is have a mutually transforming effect on the life of a kid. So, that’s a huge 
impact for us and we just want to say again thank you, thank you very much.”
Dončić, Gafford and Marshall made an appearance at Mercy Street in large part for a Jr. NBA clinic during Jr. NBA Week as all 30 NBA teams hosted youth development events in their local communities this week. It was a celebration Dončić, Marshall and Gafford thoroughly enjoyed.
“Just seeing all the kids and remembering when I was a kid, I didn’t have nothing like that,” Dončić said. “I know for the kids, it’s a lot of fun, so I’m excited for them.”
Marshall saw the wide-eyed smiles on the kid’s faces, and it brought back memories to when he was a youngster. But with one important caveat.
“We had clinics and stuff, but Luka wasn’t showing up,” Marshall said. “A lot of people see us on the court, but we have personalities, too, and we love the community.
“We love giving back and to make people happy. We have a certain type of influence.”
Playing games with the kids and teaching them some valuable lessons – which the Mavs players did on Friday — is right up the alley of Gafford, who playfully blocked over four dozen shots.
“I always have fun with the kids,” he said. “As soon as I hear or see them – high energy, big smiles, they’re shooting a bunch of basketballs – and I was blocking a couple of shots.
“We’re just giving them a hard time and making sure everybody have a good time, too, at the same time.”
Carlton Oby, the chief executive officer and president of Mercy Street, was overwhelmed by the impact Dončić, Gafford and Marshall had on the kids in his program.
“We got a chance to do a basketball clinic for kids in our neighborhood, which is traditionally been known as an under-served neighborhood,” Oby said. “Some of the kids got a chance to kind of see and do things (on Friday) they probably otherwise wouldn’t get a chance to see.
“So, it’s a chance of a lifetime to meet someone. Just the idea that they came to our neighborhood to do that is phenomenal, so we’re really thankful for the 
Mavericks’ family to have that in West Dallas.”
None of the kids or their parents knew Dončić, Marshall and Gafford were going to make an appearance at Mercy Street. So, for Roy and Oby, keeping it a secret became challenging.
“We had trouble keeping a secret that Luka and the rest of the guys were coming,” Roy said. “So, it’s been something that’s had a lot of buzz.
“We have difficult jobs really trying to deal with some of the most difficult circumstances in the city that care for and love people well, and that weighs heavy on our staff. So, to give them a chance to have a treat like this, we’re going to have a party at my house after this to celebrate the end of our baseball season and celebrate us getting to do this.”
The Jr. NBA is the league’s global youth basketball program, which aims to celebrate, grow and improve the game of basketball. It also aims to develop a life-long passion for basketball for boys and girls ages six through 14 by teaching them the fundamentals of the sport while instilling core values.
“It was a great day to teach the fundamentals of basketball to celebrate this week that means so much across the league,” said Mateo Means, the senior coordinator of corporate social responsibility for the Mavs. “It teaches about teamwork, effort and having a good positive energy.
“All the kids were screaming when Luka, Naji and Daniel came out, so that’s why it’s a great interaction. And then Luka, Daniel and Naji also had a great interaction with the players as well – blocking some shots, teaching some lessons, doing some trick shots. It was a great day for everybody around.”
A great day, Oby said, started with the relationship Mercy Street has with Mavs chief executive officer Cynt Marshall.
“She is a mentor to one of our board members, and we really appreciate Ms. Marshall,” Oby said. “We may be developing our next Luka Dončić right here in the gym. You don’t ever know.
“This is just something that helps us set the foundation for young people, which is why we’re thankful that it was here in our neighborhood.”
The kids were really tickled to get so close to someone of the stature of Dončić. They could barely keep their eyes off the five-time All-Star.
“It’s a great feeling just how the kids cheer for me, being that young and knowing who I am,” Dončić said. “Hopefully I inspired basketball players and inspired young kids to work and to enjoy life, so it’s a great feeling.”
X: @DwainPrice
Share and comment