Game 1 of the NBA Finals is Thursday night in Boston, but Dallas Mavericks fans will still pack the American Airlines Center. The AAC will host a watch party with admission at $10.
Thursday afternoon, fans packed the gift shop outside.
"Good clothes, drip," one man said. "They've got drip in there. You know what that means? They got swag."
"I've got a bag. I actually have a list from all my friends with things I'm supposed to buy," one woman said.
She said she was buying two jerseys for herself: a white jersey and a city edition jersey with the Finals patch.
Another dad brought his son.
"It's fun. I remember as a kid when the Mavs weren't very good in the 80s. Just to see everything explode over the last 20 years, it's incredible," he said.
He said the success of the Mavs and Stars coming so close to the Rangers World Series title is bringing pride to a lot of sports fans, and he hopes that success will draw his son to embrace the team, too.
"My wife came to the 2011 games. She dressed up to get free tickets in the nosebleeds, so we both love the Mavs and we're both really excited to get to watch it with him," he said. "He got a shirt earlier this week. We have a newborn at home with a matching shirt. Now, we're all going to match tonight and watch the Mavs."
In addition to the Rangers, Mavericks, and Stars advancing deep into the playoffs, AT&T Stadium hosted the PBR World Finals in May.
"People get to enjoy this experience with their friends. Then those who are visitors get to enjoy our city as well," the Dallas Sports Commission's Monica Paul said.
Paul said each of these events will draw worldwide attention, and each event will introduce different fans to the Metroplex.
"We have people here from Australia. We have people here from all over Europe to take in not just the Mavs but the Stars as well," she said. "While they're here, we hope they get to experience a lot of what we love and call DFW home."
In turn, she said visiting fans would spend money at hotels, restaurants, and stores.
Paul said the success of teams here will help the region grow an international reputation for sports, but she said those visitors will also learn about Texas culture and business.
"It's continuing to put Dallas and the DFW region on the map from a global standpoint," she said. "That national and international exposure are important. Maybe somebody wants to come visit, maybe they want to move their business here, maybe they want to host their next sporting event here."
In 2026, AT&T Stadium will host a total of nine World Cup matches. FIFA chose New York/New Jersey for the Finals, but Arlington will host the most total matches
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