The Dallas Mavericks are dealing with the aftermath of the Luka Doncic trade. The franchise clearly underestimated the fanbase’s love for Luka, stifling every form of dissent and protest that they could during Mavericks home games.
The justification for the Doncic trade has never sat well with the fans. Cries about defense and culture fell flat as it seemed like more personal motivations might be at play.
After Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont lamented Doncic not having the same work ethic as Shaquille O’Neal out of all people, the picture became clearer.
The new owners aren’t as familiar with the world of basketball as Mark Cuban’s previous team was. Instead of understanding the value of a star like Doncic, they deemed him replaceable by better cultural and defensive fits.
As the trade continues to infuriate many Mavericks loyalists, a former front office member has spoken. He didn’t have anything kind to say about the new ownership leading this beloved franchise.
Haralabos ‘Bob’ Voulgaris rose quickly in the Mavericks front office in 2021, being named the Director of Quantitative Research and Development.
The accomplished sports gambler and now Spanish soccer team owner left the franchise but has stayed in tune with the team’s affairs.
He lambasted the Mavericks ownership for the decision to trade Luka Doncic, a player he always highly rated due to his background in analytics.
Voulgaris called Patrick Dumont unaccomplished, slammed his quotes justifying the Doncic trade, and said he was only in his current position because of who he married.
“The people who are critiquing him have no business. I’m sorry, those people have not accomplished anything. They’re not accomplished individuals. Who are they to be talking about what it takes to win? That’s the part I find really offensive. What have you done in your life? Yeah, okay, you’re in charge of the team, so you’re beholden like that.”
“You inherited a good roster, you inherited a generational superstar. Have a little bit more humility in knowing what it takes to win.
“Nico is in a tough position so I can empathize with him, but the owner. He married into money. If someone wants to talk about being fit, this guy does not look like he’s ever denied himself the luxury of an extra meal.”
“For him to talk about what it means to win and reference Shaq as the ultimate example of it, it’s so tone-deaf. Obviously, you’re charming, you managed to marry into this amazing family that has a lot of money. But what have you accomplished other than going to school?”
“They don’t care enough about Dallas. They’re not from Dallas. It’s a real-estate play for them.”
The Mavericks grossly misread the room on how the fans would react to Luka Doncic being traded. The franchise wasn’t prepared for the mass-scale protests against them outside their home arena – the American Airlines center.
The dissent has spilled over into the games, with fans chanting ‘Fire Nico’ to get the GM dismissed. They even booed Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont who was shocked that he was also being booed. Harrison even got booed and heckled at a college basketball game he was attending as a fan.
Unfortunately, the organization’s response to this has been terrible. Fans are being ejected at the slightest infraction of the NBA’s Fan Code of Conduct. In addition, any fans who chant against the team or its front office have also been kicked out.
Former Governor and current minority owner Mark Cuban even got into it with fans who were booing. It’s been a drought time for the organization, which is currently dealing with an injury crisis as well.
They lined up for their close win against the Golden State Warriors last night without Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington, Dante Exum, Dwight Powell, and Caleb Martin. Nonetheless, they found a way to eke out a 111-107 win.
Wins like these are the only way the Mavs can start mending fences with the fans now.