Dallas

Owner of Eddie's Euromart in Dallas heartbroken the Mavs traded favorite customer, Luka Doncic

Eddie Kola said he's had the honor of serving Luka Doncic and other European NBA players at his restaurant which specializes in Balkan cuisine.

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The face of the Dallas Mavericks has changed and fans are in shock after the team traded NBA star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers over the weekend.

News of the surprising deal left many fans in disbelief as the team's franchise player, who many thought would become the next Dirk Nowitzki, was traded without warning.

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Monday morning a team of workers removed the large banner hoisted above the American Airlines Center with Doncic's picture that greeted fans as they walked in.

"Honest to God, I almost cried, I didn't believe it, I can't believe it, I cannot believe it," said Eddie Kola, the owner of Eddie's Euromart about the unexpected trade.

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Kola is a chef and business owner and runs several restaurants including Eddie's Napoli. He said he opened Eddie's Euromart a few years ago for NBA stars with Eastern European backgrounds like his. Kola, who is orignally from Montenegro, said former mavericks Doncic, from Slovenia, and Boban Marjanovic, from Serbia, would eat at there and shop at the at the grocery store.

"He called, and he said, Are you guys open?' I said, Yes, we are Luka. I was happy," said Kola about the call he received a couple weeks during one of the winter storms.

"This is salad called 'shopska salata' very nice, unique from Europe," said Kola as he showed different plates of food from his homeland that they've prepared for Doncic in the past.

He was hoping to see Luka soon to have a picture signed, but now with the trade, he doesn't know when he'll see him again.

"I have season tickets, floor tickets season tickets, I'm going to give it away to somebody, I'm not going to go anymore," expressed Kola who said while he is a big Maverick's fan, he mainly attended games to watch Doncic.  "I wish him the best, I wish he stayed with Dallas, I wish Dallas kept him, my customers are sad, I'm sad, everybody is sad." 

Kola held up a brand new portrait that an artist made for him of Doncic with the Dallas Maverick's jersey on, a picture that is now outdated.

"I just got this last week and my heart is broken, "said Kola. "Yes, I'm sad, but I love him." 
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