Mac Engel: Mavericks fan expresses heartbreak post-Doncic trade: 'I want them to lose'

Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Feb 6, 2025

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FORT WORTH, Texas — The pall that Nico Harrison created for the Dallas Mavericks may not evaporate with an 2025 NBA title.

The hurt, wrath and anger that the general manager of the local NBA franchise has created by trading Luka Doncic really has no sports equal in this town. Not with the Texas Rangers. Not with the Dallas Stars. And not even with the Dallas Cowboys.

A few other events are on the same text thread, but dealing Luka to the L.A. Lakers for Anthony Davis is firmly No. 1.

“I moved here in 1956, and I’ve seen it all; there is nothing close to this. This has been amazing,” retired Dallas Morning News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and long time local sports radio talk show host Randy Galloway said in a phone conservation on Wednesday morning. “Here is the one difference: We didn’t have social media when the Cowboys fired (coach) Tom Landry, or Jimmy Johnson.”

At the time then new Cowboys owner Jerry Jones fired Landry, in 1989, fans had been calling for the coach to go for the past year or two. Team president Tex Schramm wanted Landry to retire, but he didn’t have it him to fire the only coach in the history of the franchise.

“The real problem was that people didn’t want some hillbilly Arkansas firing Landry,” Galloway said.

Said Arkansas hillbilly is Jerry Jones.

The only other move that has created this much hurt was when the Rangers ran off team CEO Nolan Ryan from the team’s ownership group, after the 2013 season. But with that move, there was a 50/50 split between those who supported then GM Jon Daniels having control over personnel rather than having to check in with Nolan.

On the Luka trade, there may be 0.50% of those who support Nico’s decision to deal the beloved Doncic. Of that percentage, most of them are related to the GM.

For those who are not related to Nico, most fans have expressed outrage, disgust, but the prevailing feeling is hurt.

One person in particular sent the following email, which encapsulates the feelings that so many fans feel.

William Brown, 73, resides in Arlington, and he has supported the Mavs with his time, interest and money since he moved to this area, in 1991. He grew up a Spurs fan, but flipped to the Mavs because they were local, even if they were bad.

He wrote, “I thought I would feel better as time passed but instead I’m getting angrier. I was watching the (Mavericks game in Philadelphia on Tuesday night) and I realized I wanted them to lose. I can’t control the feeling that I want the Mavs to lose every game.

“It might be the helpless feeling one gets when obviously senseless decisions are made which you cannot control. This happens quite a bit in the workplace, especially in corporations. The term ‘culture’ Nico used is a big-time corporate buzzword meaning you better say ‘yes,’ be a yes man, or you are history.

‘For goodness’ sakes this is basketball not Amazon. Luka on the basketball court is very hard to describe. He may be the most instinctive player ever — he oozes intangibles and it’s who he is — probably born that way. This savant genius just may not be a ‘yes’ man; you have to accept that because you do not want to suppress all that he is on the court.

“Like several places I worked Nico believes he is more important and smarter than everyone else. I always thought that true intelligence is knowing when you don’t know, and listening and gathering information from those who are experts in that area to help you make a good decision.

“I also believe communication with your people rather than corporate secrecy is more effective in the long run and attracts the outstanding, and builds loyalty. Pretty old fashioned probably but this approach was very effective for me.

“I realize this is a long message for you to read but I firmly believe Nico did not like Luka and fabricated reasons to justify trading him such as ‘culture.’ Had a girlfriend like that for a while — she would breakup and come up with ‘justifications,’ and then she would comeback (she did this several times and I finally had to move on).

“The problem here is this cannot be undone and I want them to lose every game.”

William, know this, you aren’t alone.