The Dallas Mavericks probably haven't made plans for their summer vacation yet.
The Mavericks' season could end as early as Friday night, as they are tied 2-2 in the first round of their Western Conference playoff series against the Clippers. In that case, Dallas players might actually appreciate what's on the billboard near Crypto.com Arena for Wednesday night's Game 5.
But probably not.
The LA Live ad was placed by global travel company Skyscanner in a building at 1011 S. Figueroa Street, across Chick Hahn Court from the Clippers' current home base.
In large letters it says “From Dallas to Cancun.” Beneath it, in small print, it says: “For the best deals on flights to Cancun, use Skyscanner.”
There's no mention of the NBA, its teams or the playoffs, but the implications are clear. Now that this series is effectively over, it's time for the Mavericks to start planning their vacation.
Andre Le Maslier, Skyscanner's head of global brand, told The Times in an email on Wednesday that the idea behind the sign was “rather than just trolling the Mavs, we're just having fun and stirring the pot a little bit. ” he said.
“We are a global company made up of NBA fans, fans of basketball and sports culture in general,” Le Maslier said. “We saw this moment as a great opportunity to engage with Clippers and Mavericks fans and demonstrate our values and character.”
“The L.A. Live sign is not owned or operated by the Clippers,” the Clippers said in an emailed statement to the Times on Wednesday.
The Clippers added: “We have the utmost respect for our opponents and in no way endorse this message.”
According to Le Maslier newspaper, the ad was inspired by “1-2-3, Cancun!” This catchphrase was first uttered by Nick Van Exel and other Lakers players in 1998, when the Lakers were on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs by the Utah Jazz.
“We've always thought the '1, 2, 3, Cancun' meme was so fun that our creative partners at Courage Inc. wanted to do something witty and support their local team. When people came to us with ideas, we couldn't do it without resisting,'' Le Maslier said.
“We thought it would be a fun way to draw attention to Skyscanner by putting a little playful joke on a giant billboard outside the NBA's most famous arena, where this cultural phenomenon was born. Trash Talk But win or lose, Mexico is always a great place to recharge your batteries, and Skyscanner has more. It is one of the best services to help you travel cheaply.”
Of course, this series is by no means over.
Each team won one game each at Crypto.com Arena. The fourth-seeded Clippers defeated the fifth-seeded Mavericks 109-97 without star Kawhi Leonard, who was out with inflammation in his right knee. Leonard returned for Game 2 and scored 15 points on 7-of-17 shooting and missed all five 3-pointers in 35 minutes during Dallas' 96-93 win.
The series moved to Dallas, and Leonard recorded nine points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes as the Clippers lost 101-90 in Game 3. Leonard missed Game 4 with the same knee issue, but the Clippers won 116-114 behind James Harden. He finished with 33 points and scored 11 of the team's final 16 points.
Leonard was ruled out for Game 5. The team is scheduled to return to Dallas on Friday for Game 6.
If there's a Game 7, it will be held at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, and you might find that members of one of the teams have actually booked a vacation with Skyscanner or another travel service afterward.
“We have high expectations for Clippers fans. and The Mavs see that and laugh,” Le Maslier said of his company’s ads.
