Mark Cuban was shouting in Dallas, but Dirk Nowitzki's actions spoke loudest in L.A.

New York Times

11-02-2025

On a night when Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban engaged in a shouting match with a frustrated fan inside American Airlines Center, the loudest statement anyone made about the team's decision to trade Luka Dončić took place in California.
Dirk Nowitzki, the most beloved player in Mavericks franchise history, traveled to Los Angeles. He was there to watch Dončić's Lakers debut Monday. Nowitzki wanted to support his friend and mentee as he began a new chapter in his career.
Dončić looked rusty in his first game in 6 1/2 weeks, but there were flashes of the shot-making and playmaking brilliance that became common during his Mavericks tenure. Dončić scored 14 points as the Lakers crushed the lowly Utah Jazz 132-113.
I will always be a Mav for life, but had to come support my guy 77 @luka7doncic in the first game of his new chapter!
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) February 11, 2025
Nowitzki expressed shock via social media in the early morning hours on Feb. 2 when news broke that the Mavericks were trading Dončić. Nowitzki and Dončić were teammates for one season in 2018-19.
In retirement, Nowitzki watched Dončić carry the Mavericks to a Western Conference finals in 2022, score 73 points in a regular-season game, make five All-NBA First Teams and average 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.1 assists in last year's playoffs, which culminated in an NBA Finals appearance.
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In Dallas, the first nine days after the trade were chaotic.
While the Mavericks completed their five-game road trip, fans gathered in front of the Nowitzki statue at PNC Plaza and held a mock funeral.
On Saturday, the Mavericks played their first home game in 12 days, and a group of roughly 100 fans protested the Dončić trade outside American Airlines Center.
Anthony Davis, the 10-time All-Star Dallas acquired in the trade, dominated in his Mavericks debut before exiting late in the third quarter with a left adductor strain. Davis insisted it was nothing serious. However, Davis was unable to play Monday and is expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks.
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On Monday, the Mavericks lost Daniel Gafford — their last healthy center with real NBA experience — to a right knee sprain in the second quarter. They kept the game close against the Sacramento Kings, but what happened on the court was overshadowed by the scene in the stands. Security ejected multiple Mavericks fans.
One fan was booted for holding up a sign that displayed what Mavericks officials deemed 'derogatory characterization' toward general manager Nico Harrison. The sign read, 'FIRE NICO.' The Mavericks said it was a violation of the NBA Fan Code of Conduct. Earlier in the game, that same fan had mouthed the phrase 'Fire Nico' when he was shown on the Jumbotron.
A second Mavericks fan was escorted out of the building after engaging in a verbal back-and-forth with Cuban. A video showed Cuban telling the fan, 'Shut the f— up and sit down.' The Mavericks said the fan was 'intoxicated, disruptive and uncooperative,' another violation of the NBA Fan Code of Conduct.
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The irony of Monday's incident was that Cuban didn't support the decision to trade Dončić. Cuban purchased the Mavericks in 2000 and had a significant say in basketball personnel decisions until he sold his majority stake in the team to the Adelson family in 2023.
Last weekend, Cuban hosted an event with former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates.
'If after you left Microsoft, you found out that Steve Ballmer traded Windows 11 — the new hot operating system — for Windows 10, the Hall of Fame but older, what would you do?' Cuban asked Gates.
Here's that clip via Dallas Morning News on YouTube https://t.co/EPjbTvQIxk pic.twitter.com/momuV5DMy2
— Mavs Film Room 🐴🎥 (@MavsFilmRoom) February 8, 2025
It's impossible to separate Cuban's 22-year run as Mavericks majority owner from Nowitzki's career. The two of them chose to remain partners after experiencing a gut-wrenching collapse in the 2006 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat and suffering a stunning first-round upset in 2007 against the Golden State Warriors. In 2011, their loyalty to one another resulted in a championship.
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On Christmas morning in 2022, Cuban spoke as the Mavericks unveiled a 24-foot bronze statue depicting Nowitzki's famous one-legged fadeaway shot. The words 'Loyalty never fades away' were inscribed on the base of the statue.
Dončić played his last game for the Mavericks on Christmas 2024. He suffered a left calf strain in the second quarter of Dallas' Western Conference finals rematch against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Less than six weeks later, the Mavericks traded him.
On Monday, Cuban sat in his usual baseline seat near the Mavericks' bench. Nowitzki was on the West Coast more than 1,400 miles away, watching Dončić's first game with the Lakers — a display of loyalty to the player who was supposed to be his heir in Dallas.
(Photo of Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Dončić: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)