The next time the Dallas Mavericks step on the basketball court, they’ll play on the road on Monday against the Charlotte Hornets. And that game will be played on the day America celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and all of the historic things he accomplished for this country.
It’s a game Mavs guard Klay Thompson feels honored to play in.
“He’s just one of the greatest American icons and world leaders the world ever saw, so it’s an honor to play in his name,” Thompson told Mavs.com. “It’s pretty cool, to be honest.
“Everything that Dr. King sacrificed, especially not just for black folks, but just for humanity in general. He’s a beacon of hope and his legacy will be forever.”
The Mavs honored Dr. King throughout Friday’s game against Oklahoma City. In addition to the national anthem, a police officer sang Lift Every Voice And Sing — which is the black national anthem – prior to the game.
During the game, snippets from Dr. King’s iconic I Have A Dream speech were played on the Jumbotron. Also on the Jumbotron, Mavs players spoke of what Dr. King meant to them.
In addition, the Mavs wore T-shirts that read: “Honor King” on the front, and “The Time Is Right To Do What Is Right” on the back.
“It’s such an honor to play on a day that honors him because there was a time where the NBA was not any greater and it was impossible for black players to have the platform they do now,” Thompson said. “And his sacrifice is the catalyst for why we’re able to speak out on issues that are dear to our heart.”
The Mavs-Hornets game tips off at 11 a.m. CT, and is one of eight games on the NBA docket on Monday. That means over half of the league’s 30 teams will be playing on the special day that honors Dr. King and his legacy.
“I think the NBA recognizes what black athletes – female and male – have sacrificed for us to be able to have the luxury life we do,” Thompson said. “You think of Bill Russell and the Big O (Oscar Robertson) and Earl Lloyd.
“Just think of all the guys who broke the color barrier and who not only won championships, but defeated racism along the way. You keep them in your mind when you go out there and play the sport you love, because it wasn’t that long ago that this opportunity wasn’t gifted for us, so it’s a true honor to play on such a special day.”
Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 at the age of 39. Had he been alive today, he would be 68 years old.
ALL-STAR GAME FOR LUKA AND KYRIE?: The voting for the NBA All-Star game is winding down, and Mavs coach Jason Kidd believe his starting backcourt – Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving – should each land a spot in this year’s midseason classic.
The five starters from the Western Conference and Eastern Conference are chosen by the fans, NBA players and the media. The fan voting will account for 50 of the votes, while all current players and a select group of media representatives will each make up the additional 25 percent of the votes.
With the fan voting slated to end Monday at 10:59 p.m. CT, Dončić is currently third in the guards voting with 1,678,930 votes, while Irving is fourth with 1,020,116 votes. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the guard voting with 2,405,404 votes, and Golden State’s Stephen Curry is second with 1,793,150 votes.
The top two players in the fan voting will be named as starters for the All-Star game, which will be played on Feb. 16 in San Francisco. After the five starters in each conference are selected, the seven reserves from each conference will be voted on by the head coaches. That includes three frontcourt players, two guards and two players at any position in their respective conferences.
“When you talk about Luka,” Kidd said, “(he’s) one of the best players in the world.”
Dončić has missed 20 of the Mavs’ 42 games this season, and is currently sidelined with a left calf strain. Kidd said Dončić was playing at a high level before his injury.
“Some say it’s maybe a down year, and he was averaging 28-8-8, which is kind of cool,” Kidd said. “And some will say that he wasn’t shooting the ball at a high rate.
“But you could see his form was turning before this last injury, and we were playing at a high level and then he goes down to the injury. But it’s just his ability to dominate. Again, he’s one of the best players.”
Dončić is averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, 7.8 assists and two steals per game, while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from behind the three-point line. Irving, meanwhile, is averaging 23.9 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, and also shooting 48.1 percent from the floor and 43.2 percent from downtown.
“Kai is having an incredible season,” Kidd said. “When he’s one the floor his numbers speak for themselves.
“I would say those two should get votes to participate in San Francisco.”
BRIEFLY: Former NBA players J. R. Smith and Al Harrington were sitting courtside at Friday’s game. So, too, was Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who graduated from Highland Park High School. Kershaw, the National League Cy Young award winner in 2011, ’13 and ’14, helped the Dodgers win the World Series in 2020 and this past season. . .In Friday’s game, Oklahoma City guard Lou Dort was whistled for a flop with 6:04 left in the first quarter. Four seconds later, Dort was whistled for a personal foul. And with 7:33 remaining before halftime, Dort was whistled for a technical foul. . .At halftime, Austin native, Odell Bunton Jr., sung A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke. Bunton rose to fame last year when he was a contestant on American Idol. He made it all the way to the Top 14 of that contest, and his performances earned him the admiration from the judges and a platinum ticket.
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