Black History Celebration: Dallas Mavs Hosts Black to Esports Community Event

Dallas Mavericks in partnership with Mavs Gaming recently held Black to esports panel with Paul Quinn College students and Dallas ISD high school students at Esposure, a global sports gaming center headquartered in Duncanville.

Each February, the Dallas Mavericks join other NBA and NBA2K teams across the country to celebrate Black History Month as the league upholds the ongoing pursuit of racial justice, equity, equity, and inclusion in work and community.

Black to esports The event is a continuation of the franchise’s commitment to enhancing the experience and perspectives of black players, gamers, coaches, staff, and the entire community.

The diverse panel featured esports influencers, content creators, athletes and adjunct professors who discussed the importance of representing men and women of color in esports. They also highlighted career opportunities in sports for students.

Trey Thompson oversees community outreach with Mavs Gaming, and a couple of years ago he turned to the Paul Quinn College esports program to host a similar Black History Month event.

The response was huge and the Mavs were excited to host another event. Paul Quinn is the only historically black college and university (HBCU) in North Texas, and they are one of the first programs in the country on the path to creating an esports accredited program.

Other members Black to esports schools included South Oak Cliff, Madison, Skyline, Wilmer Hutchins, and H. Grady Spruce High Schools. Thompson said the high school students were selected through various ISD programs in Dallas.

“This event is important because it allows me to create a program that is effective both locally and globally,” Thompson said. “We have impacted communities from all walks of life and inspired the next generation to grow together through technology. One of the highlights of this program was that students tuned in to a Twitch livestream to interact directly with the panelist.”

He said Black to esports was interactive and gave hope and excitement to the players. Students posed questions to panellists and watched Mavs Gaming compete live in an NBA 2K League showdown.

Thompson said that Mavs Gaming is intentionally creating opportunities for diversity and inclusion for all people. In the past, Mavs Gaming has hosted community events for wounded warriors, Thanksgiving turkey treats, mental health events, and camps for children. Teaching and guiding students is another key part of the organization.

Thompson hopes events like Black to esports will eventually create a pipeline for black men and women to make their mark on the esports industry.

“You can’t have a table without everything,” Thompson explained. “We can also set the table and show that unity is still the foundation of everything we do here.”

Gamers on Black to esports the event was an opportunity to meet the current Mavs Gaming team, which is among the best players in the world. They also visited Esposure and spoke with CEO Danny Martin, who is a trendsetter and revolutionizes the industry in his own way.

“All the feedback has been positive and full of gratitude for providing students with an experience they haven’t had before,” Thompson said. “They were seeing an esports facility of this magnitude for the first time, so there was a lot of good energy and love in the building.”

All students received set meals provided by Smokey John’s, a black-owned, home-cooked restaurant that has served the heart of Dallas for over 40 years. Smokey John’s even decorated each box with Black History Month stickers and ribbons to mark this special occasion.

Black to esports the panel was a fantastic opportunity for Mavs to bring competitive gaming to the next generation as a business. Many students hope to make a career in esports, but others simply enjoy the camaraderie and competition on the sticks.

Black to esports among the participants of the discussion was the assistant coach of Mavs Gaming Bobby Jones Jr.former Mavs Gaming Esports content manager and current personality Jordan Curl. She continues to break down barriers for women in sports. Christopher Turneresports consultant/grandmaster/coach, also participated as well Marcus Howardwho works as an esports advisor and adjunct professor of game management.

When asked to think about creating content in the esports industry, Jones said that awareness is critical.

“I think building your brand is really important,” Jones said. Our team did a great job on this and they do a great job with social content. It is important to see personalities not only me and [head coach] Ryan Conger, but also our players. So I think it’s important.”

Jones played two NBA2K pro seasons and then became a high school basketball coach before returning to coach in the NBA2K league. He joined Dallas in November 2022.

“In my freshman year of college, I heard about 2K League,” Jones told students. “I heard about them because there was an audition process. I tried to play with 70,000 players but failed that year. I continued to follow the league.”

The third season was his breakthrough moment.

“I was lucky to be drafted and spent a year with the Pacers,” Jones said. “The next year I was drafted by the Lakers. Then last year the Pacers brought me back as a coach, and now I’m with the Mavs.

He said it was a great experience that came full circle.

“I always wanted to coach basketball, so it moved into the esports industry,” Jones said.

The esports industry has exploded thanks to representatives of various communities from all over the world.

Large corporations and top academic institutions have jumped into the game and taken the craze. This has created a whole new career industry with endless potential in programming, management, content creation and sales.

The sky is really the limit.

“The main message is that you can’t have UNITY without CommunITY,” Thompson said. “Mavs prioritize bridging all socio-economic divides so that our future is brighter.”