Mavericks fans have reacted fervently in response to the team’s move to trade Luka Doncic, channeling their anger towards General Manager Nico Harrison.
There have been protests outside the arena, with many season ticket holders choosing to cancel their memberships, while inside, fans joined in chants of “Fire Nico.”
During the Mavericks’ second home game without Doncic, team governor Patrick Dumont was met with a chorus of boos from the audience.
Doncic acknowledged the passionate backlash from fans, highlighting the strong bond they have developed over the years.
“I mean, yeah, I saw,” Doncic shared. “Obviously, I saw the fans. Obviously, I really appreciate it. I’ve been there seven years, almost seven years, and it was amazing to experience those fans and the love for me. I will always appreciate that. But now I think we should focus on the next step, and the way Lakers fans received me here was amazing.”
Luka made an impressive debut with the Lakers, quickly establishing a connection with LeBron and the rest of the squad.
Head coach JJ Redick praised Doncic’s performance.
“He handled it well,” Redick noted. “And, you know, knowing Luka, whether he will admit this or not, like there was probably a little bit of nerves playing for the Lakers for the first time. And the anticipation that our fans have, this building had, his teammates had, our coaching staff had. He kinda gets that, he sees that.
“And I thought he handled it really well and he played really well tonight. He could not make a three outside of the first one, but he just, again, it goes back to all our guys, they just played agenda-free basketball. What tonight was not, he didn’t make it about Luka. He made it about playing good basketball and playing Laker basketball.”
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