Photo: Mavericks Trolled by Cancún Ad Near Clippers’ Arena During 2024 NBA Playoffs
Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVMay 1, 2024
Tim Heitman/NBAE via Getty Images
It is a common joke and refrain that NBA players travel to Cancún when their teams are eliminated from the playoffs, and Skyscanner decided to have a bit of fun with that ahead of Game 5 of the first-round series between the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks.
The game is in Los Angeles, and a strategically placed ad from the travel agency means Mavericks players will see a way to book flights from Dallas to Cancún ahead of the game:
NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBAThe ad that Mavs players will see on the Clippers’ arena before Game 5 today 😅😂 pic.twitter.com/AJ55M2kNcX
According to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, the advertisement is scheduled to be taken down before Game 5.
“The billboard at L.A. Live is not owned or operated by the Clippers,” the team said in a statement to Youngmisuk. “We have the utmost respect for our opponents and in no way endorse this message.”
It’s an amusing joke, but it should be noted the series is tied at two games apiece. Nobody is going to be eliminated after Wednesday’s Game 5, so the flight searches won’t be necessary until after Game 6.
It could also be the Clippers searching for flights from Dallas to Cancún depending on how the series unfolds. After all, they would be in Dallas when their season ended if the Mavericks win the next two games.
The advertisement is all in good fun, but it wouldn’t be the first time professional athletes took motivation from real or perceived slights if Luka Dončić and Co. receive it that way.