Mavs Sue Stars Over Arena Beef

There’s tension brewing deep in the heart of Dallas — and this time, it’s not on the court or the ice. The Dallas Mavericks have filed a lawsuit against the Dallas Stars, claiming the hockey team broke their 1998 franchise agreement by moving their headquarters to Frisco instead of keeping business in the city of Dallas.

The Mavs also accuse the Stars of blocking renovations and improvements to the American Airlines Center, which both teams have shared since it opened in 2001. The legal move follows a collapsed $300 million deal that would’ve upgraded the arena and kept both teams in Dallas for decades.

According to the Mavericks, the Stars backed out at the last minute — and since then, the relationship between the two franchises has gone from chilly to full-on frozen. The City of Dallas has mostly sided with the Mavericks, saying the Stars did breach their agreement years ago when they left town.

The Stars, though, say they never agreed to those terms and deny doing anything wrong. Team president Brad Alberts says the hockey club wants to stay in Dallas but also wants a fair deal that supports both franchises financially.

Now, both teams are threatening to skate and dribble their way into new arenas once their lease ends in 2031. The Stars are even eyeing a billion-dollar home up in Plano, while the Mavericks are exploring a new basketball-only arena right here in the city.

For now, Dallas fans can still catch both teams at the AAC — but behind the scenes, it’s less teamwork and more turf war.

The Kickback w/ Jazzi Black and DJ Wire Weekdays 9A-3P, Saturdays 12P-3 P | Follow us on IG @kickbackoffair , Follow Jazzi Black on TikTok @jazziblack