Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban told angry fans to ‘shut the f*** up and sit the f*** down’ before the men were ejected from the American Airlines Center on a wild night in Dallas.
Irate over the controversial trade that sent franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the fans held up large signs reading ‘FIRE NICO’ – a reference to Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, who made the deal.
ESPN has viewed the footage of Cuban yelling at the fans and the team’s former majority owner has corroborated their version of events, albeit with some added details.
As Cuban told ESPN, he did curse at the fans, but only after they began yelling at him. And the only reason he was speaking to them in the first place was because they were chanting ‘fire Nico’ while the Mavs were shooting free throws.
And this was just a portion of the displeasure fans shared with the team during Monday’s 129-128 loss to the visiting Sacramento Kings. Prior to DeMar DeRozan’s game-winning baseline floater in overtime, multiple fans were seen being escorted out of the arena for what Mavs spokespeople described as ‘violations of the NBA’s code of conduct.’
The anger wasn’t just directed at Harrison.
Mark Cuban watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Meanwhile, one of the protestors is standing two rows back
Dallas Mavericks fans hold up a sign referring to Mavs general manager Nico Harrison during the game against the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night at the American Airlines Center
A pair of fans, one waving, are escorted out of the game after holding up a ‘Fire Nico’ sign
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Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont, whose family purchased the majority share of the team from Cuban last year, also faced a chorus of boos as he returned to his courtside seat in the third quarter.
One ejected fan shared a recording online, showing the moment he and a friend were tossed out of the arena. The man insists he hasn’t done anything to warrant an ejection, but security and police tell him he would be charged with trespᴀssing unless he left.
Ultimately the man began yelling about everything from his Type 1 diabetes to his claims of feeling violated by arena security.
‘I feel threatened right now!’ he screamed as the impatient security personnel waited for him to calm down. ‘My rights are being violated!’
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd inexplicably skipped the post-game press conference following the loss.
The uproar over the trade actually began on Saturday in Dallas as fans gathered around the arena to protest the Harrison and the trade.
Doncic was reportedly pushing 270 pounds when Harrison ended talks on a $345 million extension with the franchise cornerstone to pursue Saturday night’s historic trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz.
Fans show share their sentiments about Luka Doncic before an NBA basketball game between the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks fans gather outside the arena before the game between the Dallas and the Houston Rockets to protest the Nico Harrison trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers
Officially it was concerns over Doncic’s defense – and not his conditioning – that prompted Harrison to swap the 25-year-old offensive wizard for 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, rising guard Max Christie, and a future first-round draft pick.
‘I believe that defense wins championships,’ Mavs general manager Nico Harrison told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon , who was first to report Doncic’s 270-pound heft. ‘I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.’
Doncic did not push for a trade, according to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein . Rather, Stein reports, the two sides were headed towards that five-year, $345 million extension until Saturday. And as sources have since revealed to MacMahon, the Mavs ‘had major concerns about moving forward with Luka Doncic due to his constant conditioning issues.’
Unfortunately for Doncic, he’s no longer eligible for that extension, according to former Brooklyn Nets ᴀssistant general manager and current ESPN salary cap analyst Bobby Marks. What’s more, Doncic and his $43 million salary now go from Texas, where there is no state income tax, to California , where rates can go as high as 12.3 percent. For now, he remains signed through the 2025-26 season and has a player option for 2026-27.
Doncic made his debut for the Lakers in Monday’s 132-113 win over the Jazz, although he scored just 14 points in 23 minutes.
Davis, too, has made his debut for Dallas, but left the 116-105 win over Houston on Saturday after aggravating an adductor strain. He is now out indefinitely.
