The Dallas area’s disdain for Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and majority owner Patrick Dumont is well-documented, as is the local fans’ adoration of Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
After all, Nowitzki does have a statue and a street named after him outside the American Airlines Center.
With the city still upset about the controversial Luka Doncic trade, Nowitzki joined 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM) and offered some advice for Dumont and Harrison on how to repair a severely damaged relationship with the fans.
“At this point it’s just keep going, keep putting a good product out there,” he said. “The trade is what it is. It happens. You want to show that you have the Mavs, the organization and the fans in your mind and at heart and you want to put the best product out there that you believe is going to win and compete for years to come.
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“The owner has to show that he’s willing to spend and then make this a great team for the next decade to come. So that’s all there really is to it.”
With “Fire Nico” chants still ringing throughout sporting events in Dallas and likely continuing into the upcoming 2025-26 season for the Mavericks, there is still work to do for Harrison and Dumont to fix things with fans. Miraculously landing Cooper Flagg in the NBA draft lottery is a good start and a possible golden ticket for the organization as it tries to put the Doncic trade in the rearview mirror.
While Nowitzki has pulled back from his role with the team over the last couple of seasons, he’s still happy to help the organization he spent 21 seasons with if it ever needs him.
“I’m always a phone call away if Cooper [Flagg] or anybody needs something,” he said. “I’m obviously always here.”
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