Dallas Mavericks fans are suffering the most in the NBA – here’s the proof

It's been an absolutely brutal run for the Dallas faithful.

Keenan Womack | Mar 15, 2025

Mar 8, 2025; Frisco, Texas, USA; FC Dallas fans hold up a Fire Nico sign for Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison during the first half of the game between FC Dallas and Chicago Fire at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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Dallas Mavericks

In the midst of the baffling Luka Doncic trade that left a team and fanbase completely devastated, The Athletic has ranked Dallas first overall in the "NBA fan misery index," scoring higher than other contenders like the Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers. To say former Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was beloved in Dallas is an understatement – he was arguably the most popular athlete in a city that features one of the most popular franchises in the world, the Dallas Cowboys.

The trade has become so infamous that even members of the aforementioned Cowboys spoke out about it, notably wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who said that the trade "killed the city." It's so evident across all sports in the Metroplex that "Fire Nico [Harrison]" signs and chants can be seen and heard across multiple leagues in the area, occurring at FC Dallas events and famously even at an SMU basketball game.

Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks fans gather outside the arena before the game between the Dallas and the Houston Rockets to protest the Nico Harrison trade of former Mavericks point guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

There is also the tone-deaf way the franchise has handled the media and fan reaction since the swap, trashing the former Mavericks star at any given opportunity as well as banning fans for dissenting opinions about the front office at the American Airlines Center. They have stuck a knife in the heart of Dallas fandom and only begun to twist it since, and as a result, many people are trading in their fan cards and either choosing to follow Doncic, picking another team, or avoiding the NBA at large.

A team that played in an NBA Finals last summer is now likely going to pick in the lottery in the 2025 NBA Draft, with nothing to show for their sacrifice other than an oft-injured Anthony Davis, a decent role player in Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick, the value of which depends on the Lakers struggling. Considering LA is likely set up to be a contending team for the future, the pick is not worth much, and only emphasizes the ineptitude of the front office.

Whether people still care about the team or are following for the simple train wreck it has become, there is no doubt that interest is dwindling. It will require major steps forward in order for this organization to win back true fans, but even then, it may be too late. Most die-hards have moved on, while many of the casual viewers have completely tuned out.

The first move that needs to be made is the firing of GM Nico Harrison, followed by some show of concession or at least acknowledgment of their wrongdoing, as their current unrepentant attitude has been a major turn-off for Dallasites.

Regardless of what they do, they may never have a player as talented as Luka Doncic fall into their lap in an NBA Draft again. Until Harrison is let go, they will also never sign a major free agent due to the way they cost Doncic a supermax contract. They are trapped in a prison of their own making, and heads will have to roll for this franchise to make any kind of progress.

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Published Mar 15, 2025

KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.