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Emmitt Smith, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Patrick Dumont during Game 3 of the NBA basketball finals in Dallas on June 12.Photographer: Sam Hodde/AP Photo

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By Matthew G Miller and Julie Fine

June 14, 2024 at 10:13 PM UTC

Updated on

June 15, 2024 at 3:30 PM UTC

As Game 3 of the NBA Finals tipped off at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday, Patrick Dumont, the new co-owner of the Dallas Mavericks, sat courtside amid a pantheon of Texas athletic elite.

To his right: former NBA stars Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, and three-time Super Bowl champion Emmitt Smith. Nearby, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who played high school and college football in Texas, was also cheering.