“My obligation is to the Dallas Mavericks…. Some of those decisions are going to be unpopular, maybe to Dirk and maybe to the fans, but my obligation is to the Dallas Mavericks.” With those words, GM Nico Harrison poured gasoline on an already blazing fire. The “Fire Nico” chants have only gotten louder since the Luka Doncic–Anthony Davis trade, and now, with Dallas barely clinging to a Play-In spot—Harrison isn’t backing down. Instead, he’s doubling down. And the mention of Dirk Nowitzki? That struck a nerve. Enough for Mark Cuban himself to finally break his silence and urge fans not to lose faith just yet.

Earlier today, the current Mavericks minority owner and ‘Shark Tank’ fame took to his official X account. He used the opportunity to speak out, and speak out well, by leaving a 160+ words message. Cuban kicked things off by defending Dirk Nowitzki, stating, “Dirk is the Dallas Mavericks. Then, now and forever. No one should ever forget that. That statue will be here forever. Loyalty never fades away.” Given the timing of this tweet and Nico Harrison’s remarks, it is hard to view Cuban’s statement as a contradictory message to that of the GM’s.

However, the billionaire did not want to make it all about him and Harrison. The upcoming Mavericks-Kings game is a crucial one, and Cuban wanted fans to know that he hears them, even if Nico Harrison allegedly does not.

“Tomorrow night 15 guys will put on a Mavericks uniform. They will do everything they can to win. For themselves, each other and THE FANS. Our squad has busted their a– to fight through incredible adversity. They have my respect and support, should have everyone’s” Cuban wrote.

“I am a Mavs fan. I will always love and cheer for everyone who puts on our uniform. Tomorrow night and how ever many games we have left this season and in every future season, whether I’m in the stands, in front of the TV, or following every play online, my heart and soul is committed to rooting for the Mavs to win. That will never change. I know fans are upset. But don’t be upset at the players. Support them. Root for them. Rally behind them. MFFL stands for Mavs Fan FOR LIFE. #MFFL”.

After the team reached the NBA Finals last year, no one anticipated the squad’s condition rapidly deteriorating within 12 months. However, the infamous trade of Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis sustaining an injury in his Mavs debut, Kyrie Irving being absent since early March, and other incidents all led to an overall break in momentum.

Due to that, the Mavericks now have to carve a path for themselves to the playoffs through the Play-In. In light of this, fans would have wanted Nico Harrison to accept responsibility for at least worsening the team’s condition by trading Doncic. However, along with the team’s CEO Rick Welts, the GM addressed the media in a private roundtable discussion on Tuesday, and made it clear that he has no regrets.

Cuban might not have even chosen to speak up had Harrison not brought up Dirk Nowitzki. After all, before Doncic, the German was the face of the Dallas Mavericks. He was the power forward who led the team to its first, and only, championship back in 2011. The duo continued maintaining their bond even after Nowitzki’s player retirement back in 2019, with the German coming to Cuban’s defense after Doncic’s trade. For Harrison to ignore Nowitzki’s remarks would be equivalent to if Marc Eversley ever downplayed any opinion Michael Jordan gave out about the Chicago Bulls. Therefore, Cuban would have finally felt ‘enough is enough’.

Mark Cuban would have needed to reach a breaking point to send out a message in this manner. As it turns out, the same might have occurred less than a week ago.

Mark Cuban was captured burying face in hands, shaking head amidst ‘Fire Nico’ chants

It is no secret that Mark Cuban wasn’t a big fan of the Slovenian getting traded. This was the same man who once famously said, back in 2020, that “If I had to choose between my wife & keeping Luka on the Mavs, catch me at my lawyer’s office prepping for a divorce”. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much Cuban could do to stop the deal. He had sold the majority of his Mavs shares back in December 2023, and retained only 27%.

All he could do was highlight his disappointment. That is exactly what he did when his team’s GM started to again face the brunt of the fans.

Less than a week ago, the Dallas Mavericks faced off against the Los Angeles Lakers. The game marked Luka Doncic’s return to the American Airlines Center for the first time since the trade. The matchup was made eventful by several aspects, one being a video tribute that made Doncic emotional.

Another was Lakers and Mavs fans uniting to chant ‘Fire Nico’ as Luka went on to score an impressive 45 points against his former team. Cuban, buried his face in his hands and shook his head as “Fire Nico!” continued booming. When the billionaire eventually lifted his head, he reportedly had a dour expression on his face.

Mark Cuban knows the pressure of running a sports team. He knows just how much a bad decision can cause the whole fanbase to erupt and criticize it. Cuban was not happy with the criticism. Therefore, his recent tweet, along with an indirect snub of Harrison’s remarks, was also damage control. Now, it remains to be seen whether the GM himself chooses to reply to Cuban’s remarks on X.