Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Mavericks had to know there would be plenty of backlash after they decided to trade Luka Doncic, and fans of the team have not been shy about voicing their displeasure with the move. That includes employees at a brewery in Dallas that swiftly whipped up a beer inspired by the sentiment many people in the area share.
I can only assume even the most casual NBA fan is aware of the bombshell news we were treated to over the weekend when the Dallas Mavericks decided to ship off a franchise player in the prime of his career to the Lakers after Luka Doncic was sent to Los Angeles in a trade involving Anthony Davis.
It was a virtually unprecedented blockbuster move that left plenty of people scratching their heads given the seemingly lopsided nature of the deal, as the 25-year-old Doncic led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals last year before being dealt in a trade where the biggest asset Dallas received in return was an undoubtedly talented but nonetheless aging veteran who seems to be a downgrade at first glance.
Only time will tell how the trade ends up working out for both parties, but there’s no shortage of Mavs fans who believe the team committed a generational unforced error—including plenty of people who flocked to American Airlines Arena in the wake of the trade to take part in a protest targeting GM Nico Harrison and majority owner Miriam Adelson (who now obviously has more of a say in roster decisions than we were led to believe after Mark Cuban sold the bulk of his shares).
According to The Dallas Morning News, Celestial Beerworks decided to join that chorus of detractors with the release of a beer dubbed “Sell The Team,” a double IPA it’s planning to release in the near future whose branding was inspired by the trade.
The beer clocks in at 7.7% ABV (a nod to Doncic’s jersey number) and comes in a can emblazoned with a label that notes it “pairs well with our confusion & desperation.” The brewery is also giving fans some extra incentive to drown their sorrows, as anyone who wears Mavericks apparel to their taproom this week will get a 10% discount on their draft tab.
Well played.