Like many Mavericks’ fans, I spent most of the day Sunday dealing with sports heartbreak. I debated all day whether I wanted to make a return to The Chirp as a way to unpack my thoughts and emotions to Nico Harrison trading away our franchise centerpiece and a player who brought many of us the ultimate escape from the day-to-day grind of the “real world”. I landed on publishing something after seeing the community of Mavs’ fans simultaneously going through the same emotions I had. I’m honestly not sure I’ll ever get over this trade from a fandom standpoint; to understand that you have to understand what it means to be a Dallas Mavericks fan. That is what I want the focal point of this article to be about: sports fandom and what makes this trade in particular hurt so badly.
Many people are surprised when I say I’m a die-hard Dallas Mavericks fan. Given the fact I’m originally from New Jersey with zero Texas roots, that surprise makes sense. The origination of my fandom comes from the silliest of ways, thinking that Dirk Nowitzki’s avatar in the backyard basketball game had cool hair and an awesome goatee, plus a great German accent to boot. I would have never imagined how much the fandom would stick; I remember being in disbelief in second grade that my friend was somehow rooting for the “We Believe” Warriors over Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks (he probably didn’t care and wanted me to stop bothering him). I remember staying up past my bedtime to watch every game of the 2011 playoff run which ended with Nowitzki hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy over his head. I remember all the doubt national pundits had over Nowitzki’s ability to lead a team to a championship. We went through the highs and lows of Nowitzki’s career, enjoying every second in between. The mutual appreciation between the fans and our homegrown superstar, the player who never left despite some organizational failures, is what made Dirk’s career and relationship with the Mavericks reach a mystified aura that cannot be properly explained in words. The Mavericks whiffed repeatedly in trying to remain competitive in the twilight years of Dirk’s career, floundering to mediocre teams that featured a revolving door of players. It would have been understandable that in the age of “player empowerment”, Dirk tried to leave for a better shot at a second title. He didn’t, despite no marquee free agents wanting to come to Dallas and trades not working out. It’s what truly makes the relationship between Mavericks’ fans and Dirk a feeling only the fans can understand.
Mavericks’ fans know we’ll never see a Dirk Nowitzki, but we lucked into the next closest thing in Luka Doncic. It was a storybook changing of the guard, as Doncic’s rookie year overlapped with Nowitzki’s final season. It was obvious that Doncic was going to live up to the “Wunderkind” name; his personal 8-0 run against the Houston Rockets was my personal moment of knowing this was a baaaad man we had on our roster. A player anointed by Nowitzki as a worthy successor of the mantle felt like a fever dream. If we were lucky, us fans would have 35-40 years straight of cheering for Nowitzki then Doncic. It was exciting to imagine cheering our hearts out for another Nowitzki-like career, one where Luka would win MVPs, be questioned relentlessly by national media, and, if we were lucky, would summit the mountain and become an NBA Champion. Regardless of whether a title would have been won, Luka was our superstar and knowing the relationship Mavericks’ fans have with their star, it was special.
The Dallas Mavericks will never be a franchise with too many championship banners to count. They will never be a prime attraction for free agents. They will never land superstars with ease who force their way out of their prior team. All of that builds into the identity of Mavericks’ fans, the ethos that makes us who we are. We may never build super teams or win multiple titles, but we have our guy, and there has been that fiercely loyal two-way street that isn’t the norm for any other NBA franchise. It is what made the 2011 NBA Finals victory with Dirk so special; as fans, we felt all the highs and lows with Dirk, we felt the criticism and still believed, and through that entire, special journey we shared, a championship was the cherry on top. Feeling like that same magical journey was on tap with Luka, where a new generation of Mavericks’ fans would experience those highs and lows… it was so promising and exciting. The Luka era was just about to reach the really, really good parts. For that hope and relationship the fans had with Luka to be stripped away in the middle of the night, with no warning or desire to leave for Doncic, it’s a total slap in the face to the identity of what it is to be a Mavericks’ fan for so many of us. “Loyalty Never Fades” is the line on Dirk’s statue and that line isn’t just a slogan for many Mavericks’ fans. Rather, it’s the embodiment of their fandom, including mine.
It hurts knowing that Doncic won’t be celebrating his MVP trophies in front of a raucous American Airlines Center crowd. It stings knowing we won’t be the franchise to celebrate his NBA Finals trophies with. I think what is the biggest gut punch, however, is knowing the #77 won’t be hanging in the rafters, that a Doncic statue won’t accompany the Nowitzki one out on the AAC Plaza, and that “Doncic Avenue” won’t be intersecting with “Nowitzki Way”. For many fans, this trade isn’t just indefensible from an on-court standpoint, but also from a fandom standpoint. Nico Harrison’s decision to trade Doncic robbed Mavericks’ fans of their identity and relationship they had with their franchise icon. Those moments that should have perfectly illuminated and celebrated his greatness and the meaning to Dallas are now purely dreams and “what ifs”. There won’t be a retirement game for Luka like there was for Dirk. Those are the moments that really hit you hard, regardless of how this trade works for the Mavericks from a basketball standpoint.
From a basketball standpoint, this trade is indefensible. Trying to make sense of it is impossible, for I have tried to squint and see any angle for why Nico Harrison does this deal. My conclusion from the intel I’ve read is that Harrison has a certain vision for this team and wants “his” guys on the roster who he knows and trusts. It’s the only explanation that can help me understand why this is the return trade package for Doncic. Harrison must believe that the knocks on Doncic’s game (conditioning, defensive attention) make him a player not capable of winning now, while believing Anthony Davis is that player. He must believe Doncic’s style and demeanor doesn’t fit the ideal vision of the team he is trying to build, while his preexisting relationship with Davis gives him confidence that he does.
I won’t try to defend the indefensible, but that is at least my personal conclusion. It shouldn’t make sense, because it doesn’t. This will very likely be the worst trade in sporting history; MVPs win NBA Finals, and Anthony Davis is six years older than Doncic, has never won an MVP, and likely never will. Meanwhile, Doncic will likely win multiple but at the bare minimum, he’ll win one and likely will be the best player on the court in nearly every playoff series. It’s remarkable that Harrison had a front row seat to the Mavericks’ run to the NBA Finals last year, watched Dallas have the #1 net rating lineup this year, and his conclusion was we need to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. The return being so meager just adds to the frustration, but there is a reason why this trade still doesn’t feel real: because it so implausibly bad for the Mavericks that their own general manager set his own house on fire for no reason, other than what was seemingly a personal dislike for Doncic’s fit in his own roster “vision”. If his vision cannot accommodate a top-3 player in the world, perhaps his vision is at fault, not the player. NBA champions possess. Once again, this is an irresponsible, indefensible deal.
When Nico Harrison was asked what he would say to fans who are frustrated, he said the following:
“I’m sorry they are frustrated. It’s something we believe in as an organization that’s going to make us better. We believed it sets us up to win not only now but in the future. And when we win, I believe the frustration will go away”.
This was the quote that fully pushed me into the territory of wanting to write an article, for I think it represents a total misunderstanding of sports fandom in general. Harrison’s gambit in trading Doncic isn’t just irresponsible, it’s also the biggest bet that fandom “Loyalty Never Fades”. If it feels ironic, it’s because it is. Harrison is gambling that fans’ attachment to Doncic and their desire to accompany him on his career journey and growth is solely due to wanting to win a championship at all costs.
Yet, that is the antithesis of the identity Mavericks’ fans have built. Championships at all costs have never been the identity of the Dallas Mavericks. Unwavering loyalty to our superstars (who, by the way, certainly can win multiple championships, making this 100x more frustrating) has been the fans’ identity. That’s not to say I only like homegrown players, but you build a connection with them because you feel an innate, unique bond with them. Celebrating the successes of players who have been with a team for multiple seasons bring you happiness, joy, excitement, and that real world escape is what makes any sort of fandom so special. It just so happens that for Mavericks’ fans, that special connection is too powerful to properly articulate.
I’m not sure what happens next for the Mavericks or for the connection fans feel to the team. Mine certainly has been muted, even if I still love PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively, and countless others who are part of the roster. I don’t dislike Anthony Davis or Max Christie either. They just happen to be in the impossible situation of having to follow Luka Doncic and play for an angry fanbase. I’m not sure that even if this Mavericks’ roster somehow wins the NBA Finals if it’ll be the joyous occasion for fans that it should be. I genuinely believe there is a large portion of fans who would have rather stuck by Doncic’s side his entire career with no guarantee of a championship versus making this deal and winning 1-2 titles guaranteed. I’m certainly one of those fans who would have chosen Doncic.
This is an indefensible trade, one that violates a core principle front office executives should have of doing no harm to the fans. It sucks for nearly everybody; for the players, coaching staff, the countless number of full-time employees who depend on social media engagement, ticket sales, merchandise, and more for their livelihoods, and for the fans who invest so much time, effort, and hope into the Mavericks. For remember; being a Mavericks fan isn’t defined by titles, but rather, the mutual loyalty and appreciation towards homegrown stars. It is what makes this deal from Harrison not just an irresponsible gambit sure to implode in predictable fashion, but also the ultimate stress test of how much blind loyalty fans have to their team. If the immediate reaction is any indication, fan loyalty can indeed fade away.
The Chirp 