In light of the Luka Doncic trade, Anthony Davis’ debut helped suppress the rage of the Mavericks organization. Sadly, AD also aggravated his injury, leading to an extended absence. Hence, with his electric presence on the floor, the fans are back to protesting. The animosity was loud tonight as the American Airlines Center didn’t feel like home for the franchise. Additionally, the attacks on Nico Harrison continue to grow larger.

At first, reports suggested that the GM received death threats for pulling the Doncic-AD swap. Hours before, the game fans also rallied outside the arena to protest the decision to trade away the franchise’s young mainstay. But tonight, amidst the boos, a pair of fans crossed the limits.

Their rage spoke loud on the Jumbotron. Aside from them holding ‘Fire Nico’ signs, they also mouthed off the same as the entire arena saw them on the big screen. The act led to security escorting out of the arena. However, there is a looming fear. This might not be the last instance of such an act of defiance from their fanbase.

That’s evident through the online activity following the event. Rather than stand by the team in a time where even an ounce of support is needed, the fanbase remains crushed over the Luka Doncic trade.

Mavericks fans continue to slander the organization for trading Luka Doncic

For a set of fans that just experienced an NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, they never saw a need to change the head of the ship. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving looked untouchable while everything around them required restructuring. Hence, the fans felt blindsided when the trade news came through and the name read Doncic.

Understandably, one of those fans lashed out today. But it didn’t take long for him to get support. “That’s embarrassing. Simply mouthing “Fire Nico” should not get you kicked out” a fan mentioned. Likewise, aside from speaking their mind, the fan didn’t cause harm to the game or Harrison. But it brought harm to the organization’s reputation. This could have played a role in his ejection.

But that didn’t matter to the Dallas Mavericks fans. In a matter of weeks, they have watched their franchise crumble. Not only have they lost faith in the front office, but this reaction has further frustrated them. One fan even claims “I don’t recognize this team and organization anymore man smh“.

Times are likely to remain difficult for the Dallas Mavericks moving forward. The only way to probably regain the support of their fans is to deliver a championship. There is no other parameter that would convince them of Harrison’s vision regarding the decision to trade for Anthony Davis.

At the same time, though, such ejections hold the power to further separate the fans from the franchise. That is how college football writer Shehan Jeyarajah sees it. He wrote, “This is so deeply embarrassing for the Mavs. This is how you kill a fanbase”.

And indeed, it seems the fans are beginning to lose hope and it’s happening at a rampant pace. With the controversial decision, such backlash had to be projected as the natural reaction. Many of the players spoke about it too. Enduring it is difficult, without a doubt. Yet, there seems to be a better way to handle it.

There was although a silver lining today. Even though some fans feel “Patrick Dumont and Nico Harrison have ruined this franchise”, the arena came alive tonight. With an overtime thriller on the cards, a Klay Thompson bucket in overtime brought the crowd to its feet and the arena felt as loud as ever. However, the night ended in more agony. DeMar DeRozan torched the Mavericks for 42 points, including the eventual game-winner to give a slumber Sacramento Kings their second straight win. With Anthony Davis out for at least a month, an atmosphere of hostility could reignite during the coming games.

As much as the players can do, the injuries on the roster make winning a herculean task. Furthermore, Luka Doncic is back and healthy. Everything seems to be going wrong for the Mavericks at the moment. They can only hope that with time and results, this gloomy phase passes.