The Dallas Mavericks entered the first night of the NBA Draft sure to come away from the event as one of its “winners.” After securing the No. 1 overall pick, and the opportunity to draft Duke star Cooper Flagg, Mavericks fans were going to have a good night.
But they were also going to make sure one man still had a bad time. Mavericks fans still found a way to antagonize team general manager Nico Harrison on arguably the best day of his career, chanting “Fire Nico” at the team watch party.
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It almost feels too surreal, but it happened. While Dallas was on the clock, Mavericks fans let Harrison know they still weren’t over the Luka Dončić trade.
Mavericks fans turned on Harrison after he traded Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis in one of the most shocking NBA trades of all time. Dončić, a bonafide superstar, was the type of player franchises build their whole team around. The thought of trading away a player of that caliber, especially in his prime, was unthinkable.
To fans, the trade was unforgivable. Mavericks fans immediately protested the move, calling for Harrison to be fired. Fans even gathered outside American Airlines Center to let their thoughts be heard. Some fans spray painted messages outside the stadium. Others brought a coffin to represent the death of the Mavericks. While those gatherings died down as the season went on, fans still took every possible opportunity to launch into “Fire Nico” chants whenever possible.
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Following Wednesday’s selection of Flagg, Harrison met with local media to discuss the first night of the 2025 NBA Draft. When asked whether he thinks the Flagg selection will quell some of the vitriol he’s received from fans, Harrison said, “I’m hoping so. I’m assuming so, a little bit. Maybe.”
If Wednesday’s watch party reaction was any indication, it’s going to take a lot more than Flagg to make Mavericks fans forget about Dončić.
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