Dallas Mavericks fans Photo Credit: Tyler B via X
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The Dallas Mavericks played their second home game Monday night since trading the face of the franchise, Luka Dončić, last week.

Things did not go well.

Not surprisingly, fans are still furious at the team’s stunning decision to send the popular player and prolific scorer to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Several fans were ejected from American Airlines Center Monday night for protesting that trade, one after being shown on the Jumbotron apparently mouthing the words, “Fire Nico,” a reference to Mavs GM Nico Harrison.


To compound the situation, head coach Jason Kidd did not meet with reporters after the game, standard procedure for coaches. Oh, the team also provided no update on injured star Anthony Davis, the primary player acquired for Dončić.

Basketball analyst Kevin O’Connor called the team’s behavior Monday “disgraceful.”

“It’s actually so sad to see the Mavericks organization crumble. Ejecting passionate fans last night,” O’Connor wrote in an X post. “Jason Kidd refusing to speak postgame. No medical update on Anthony Davis, the injured player you just acquired for your 25-year-old face of the franchise. Just disgraceful.”

O’Connor also posted a photo of Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki attending the Lakers home game Monday night to witness Dončić’s debut with the team.

“Dirk Nowitzki making it known he was in LA to watch Luka Doncic’s Lakers debut feels a lot like a statement against this new Dallas regime that has ruined everything for that incredible fan base,” O’Connor concluded.

A Mavericks spokesperson cited a couple of reasons for the ejections, including violations of the NBA Code of Conduct, and said that one of the fans appeared “intoxicated, disruptive and uncooperative.” Yet the ejections did not play well in sports media Tuesday. On the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, Jon “Stugotz” Weiner said the Mavericks did a “terrible job” dealing with those fans.

“Those fans do not deserve to be thrown out of a game for being fans, they’re not happy with the move that Nico made,” Weiner said.

“Why can’t fans walk into their place of work, where they’re paying their good, hard-earned money, and say, ‘Hey, I want to fire the GM,’ without getting thrown out by the organization. Terrible job by the Mavericks.”

Erika Day, broadcaster for the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, agreed the Mavericks crossed the line with the ejections.

“The Mavs organization should feel ashamed of themselves for kicking those fans out,” Day posted on X. “How can they commit NBA WAR CRIMES and expect people to be happy???”


Don’t be surprised to see similar situations erupt at Mavericks games the rest of the season.

As for Kidd not speaking with reporters following the game, which could result in an NBA fine, reporters were quite surprised.

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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