Dallas Mavs Hosts 16th Annual Soldier Seat Night

On Monday night in Dallas, Dallas Mavericks, American Airlines and Nick & Sam’s hosted the 16th annual Seats for Soldiers event, with over 80 service members from Brook Army Medical Center in San Antonio.

Members of the armed forces are either injured, sick or wounded and the annual event was created to honor the memory of the brave men and women for their service. Reservists from the Texas Army National Guard also took part in this year’s “Soldiers’ Seats” and received seats in the yard.

“I think it’s great,” said Dallas Mavs head coach Jason Kidd. “The Mavs have been doing this program for a long time, it’s been very successful, and I also think it’s great to have them right here on the floor and be able to interact with them after that.”

Seats for Soldiers is considered one of the most emotional events in professional sports, as the team thanks the military for their service. The one-of-a-kind experience has returned to Dallas after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

Dallas took a 111–105 win and the Mavs improved to an all-time 14–2 in Seats for Soldiers games.

“Of course we spotted them,” Dallas Mavs superstar Luka Doncic said with a smile when asked about the military. “Obviously it’s a special night because we haven’t had it in two years.”

After scoring another 50 points, Doncic stayed after the game to shake hands and take pictures with each service member.

The Seats for Soldiers concept originated with Dallas Mavericks season ticket holders Neil and Jamie Hawkes, who, along with other front row season ticket holders, donated more than $400,000 worth of their seats year after year to accommodate wounded military personnel.

After the game, the military waited on the court to meet the Mavericks players, General Manager Synth Marshall, coaches, dancers, and ManiAAC.

Texas Army National Guard Staff Sergeant Jean-Pierre Sanders took a premium seat under the bench-side goal. He said it was a fantastic night from start to finish.

“This is my first time visiting Seats for Soldiers and I’m so glad I came,” Sergeant Sanders said. “It was a great experience. It was the best event I have attended. I told another soldier that sitting so close to the courtyard was such a special experience. Then we met up with Mark Cuban and you see him on TV, but seeing him in real life and he’s next to you is just wild.”

Staff Sergeant Sanders said it was fun because the players interacted and talked with the soldiers throughout the game. According to him, the game became slow at times, which made it even more fun.

The day began with Brook Army Medical Center troops boarding an American Airlines charter flight from San Antonio to Dallas.PerWorth what American pilots and flight attendants volunteer their time per special flight.

After arriving in DallasPerAt Worth International Airport, the troops were given a hero’s welcome and then traveled to downtown Dallas for a complimentary four-course dinner hosted by Nick & Sam’s Steakhouse.

From there, they went to the game on a charter bus.

“Everything was so great,” said Sergeant Sanders, “and then you add that Luca scored 53 points? You can’t get over it. TV does not convey how Luca plays. He makes it so easy. When he had 24 points in the first quarter, I thought, “Damn, has he already scored 24?” He just makes it so easy. Luke is nice to look at. The whole night was amazing.”

Marshall, Dallas Mavs executives, and NBA legend Rolando Blackman had dinner with the military before the game. Several people also addressed the uniformed men and women, thanking them for their dedication to the country.

After the game, Marshall lingered to make sure all the soldiers had photos of the players and memories to last a lifetime. Blackman said the event is great for everyone.

“It’s important to give soldiers, both men and women, the opportunity to know how much we care about them and how much we think about them,” Blackman said. “They are an integral part of our fabric and we love them very much.”

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texasstandard.news contributed to this report.

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