The Mavericks—their fans, players, and front office—are still dealing with the fallout and emotional aftereffects of the stunning Luka Doncic trade. Not everyone is processing this in the same way, and many people — particularly fans — are not ready to move on.
Dallas Mavericks talisman Dirk Nowitzki spoke to that on the German 41 Campus podcast (hat tip to Hoopshype for the translation). Nowtizki talked about going to the first Lakers game Doncic played.
"It was such a strange situation. I was standing in that empty stadium, and then he ran onto the court—in yellow. It was just an unbelievably bizarre moment for me. And of course, it's going to take weeks and months before it starts to feel a little more normal. It's a tough situation, but in my tweet, I made it clear—I will always be a Mavs fan. But this trade really hurt. And it will take a while before everyone processes it and moves on."
Nowitzki also talked about the shock of learning about the trade while on vacation with his family.
"At the end of the trip, we were in the Maldives, just relaxing at the beach. It was literally the last day, and I was in my room, about to pack my things. Then suddenly, my phone exploded with calls and messages from all over the world. I immediately went on Twitter, read the news, and at first, I was just shocked—like everyone else. I don't think anyone saw it coming that the Mavs would ever trade Luka. So for me, it was totally unexpected, completely out of nowhere."
That shock and pain still impacts Mavericks fans, who have lashed out at general manager Nico Harrison and team governor Patrick Dumont.
The players have no choice but to move on — they still have to take the court and play games (on a team ravaged by injuries). Which is why P.J. Washington said the "fire Nico" chants need to end, speaking to Mike Curtis of the Dallas Morning News.
"All that 'Fire Nico' stuff, we're sick and tired of hearing it. We just want to go out there and play and we need the fans to support us no matter who's on the floor. That's just how I feel about it."
It's understandable Washington feels that way. The fans aren't there yet. Part of that is that since the trade Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis (nearing a return) and so many other players have been injured that the team is struggling to fill the required eight roster spots each night. Winning would have eased some of the pain fans felt, but with injuries piling up the team has lost 8-of-9 and is in danger of sliding out of even the play-in.
It's going to take a while for fans to embrace the Mavericks the same way again. Everyone is going to process this at their own pace, and that might be slower than Washington or Mavericks management wants.
