With every new detail we learn from the fallout of the shocking Luka Doncic trade, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison looks more and more like a glorified buffoon. Somehow, this contentious Dallas situation continues to look worse and worse by the week. It’s frankly unbelievable.
One newly reported tidbit from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon concerns Harrison’s all-around, obsessive pettiness with Doncic, especially in the latter stages of his Mavericks career. Way before Harrison ever seriously considered trading Doncic earlier this season, he was apparently fixated on purging people and elements within the Mavericks organization that he felt “enabled” Doncic.
One of those people was Casey Smith, the Mavericks’ former director of health and performance. Smith is credited as one of the folks who helped Doncic make a full-time transition into American culture as a native Slovenian, and someone the legendary Dirk Nowitzki, who has unsurprisingly loosened his ties to the Mavericks recently, has praised for having helped extend his iconic NBA career. But Harrison reportedly felt “threatened” by Smith’s influence inside the Mavericks’ halls (given his pull with Doncic).
As a result, Harrison brashly fired him during the summer of 2023, months before the Mavericks would qualify for the 2024 NBA Finals. The awful kicker here? Harrison fired Smith over a video call after Smith had told him he was visiting his terminally ill mother in Ohio.
Oh, c’mon, man. Show some heart. Please be a good person first and foremost before you settle basketball grudges. Ugh.
More from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon:
A few days after returning to Dallas’ Love Field from the Hall of Fame event, when the franchise that had endured a frustrating, losing season was on a high from honoring [Dirk] Nowitzki, Harrison informed [Casey] Smith that they needed to meet. Smith replied that it wasn’t possible to meet in person; he had gone to his hometown in Ohio to be at the side of his gravely ill mother in the final weeks of her life. Harrison set up a video conference meeting instead.
Smith was then informed that his services in Dallas were no longer needed, ending a nearly two-decade tenure with the franchise. The reason for the dismissal centered on Smith being “too negative,” according to sources briefed on the discussion who interpreted the vague reasoning to mean Smith wasn’t enough of a yes-man.
It’s one thing for Harrison to coldly fixate on Doncic as some sort of “virus” he felt he needed to purge from the Mavericks. But to fire someone important to Doncic OVER VIDEO while they’re simultaneously enduring the imminent death of a parent — one of the hardest things for any human being to deal with — is just flat out callous. Once again, it makes Harrison look like a rash and dishonorable basketball tyrant.
With every additional note we learn about Harrison and Doncic’s relationship disintegrating, I feel even worse for Doncic and Mavericks fans everywhere. You are clearly fighting an uphill battle for this NBA franchise to be relevant and, more importantly, respectable any time soon.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Nico Harrison fired Luka Doncic supporter with Mavericks at worst time
With every new detail we learn from the fallout of the shocking Luka Doncic trade, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison looks more and more like a glorified buffoon. Somehow, this contentious Dallas situation continues to look worse and worse by the week. It’s frankly unbelievable.
One newly reported tidbit from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon concerns Harrison’s all-around, obsessive pettiness with Doncic, especially in the latter stages of his Mavericks career. Way before Harrison ever seriously considered trading Doncic earlier this season, he was apparently fixated on purging people and elements within the Mavericks organization that he felt “enabled” Doncic.
One of those people was Casey Smith, the Mavericks’ former director of health and performance. Smith is credited as one of the folks who helped Doncic make a full-time transition into American culture as a native Slovenian, and someone the legendary Dirk Nowitzki, who has unsurprisingly loosened his ties to the Mavericks recently, has praised for having helped extend his iconic NBA career. But Harrison reportedly felt “threatened” by Smith’s influence inside the Mavericks’ halls (given his pull with Doncic).
As a result, Harrison brashly fired him during the summer of 2023, months before the Mavericks would qualify for the 2024 NBA Finals. The awful kicker here? Harrison fired Smith over a video call after Smith had told him he was visiting his terminally ill mother in Ohio.
Oh, c’mon, man. Show some heart. Please be a good person first and foremost before you settle basketball grudges. Ugh.
More from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon:
A few days after returning to Dallas’ Love Field from the Hall of Fame event, when the franchise that had endured a frustrating, losing season was on a high from honoring [Dirk] Nowitzki, Harrison informed [Casey] Smith that they needed to meet. Smith replied that it wasn’t possible to meet in person; he had gone to his hometown in Ohio to be at the side of his gravely ill mother in the final weeks of her life. Harrison set up a video conference meeting instead.
Smith was then informed that his services in Dallas were no longer needed, ending a nearly two-decade tenure with the franchise. The reason for the dismissal centered on Smith being “too negative,” according to sources briefed on the discussion who interpreted the vague reasoning to mean Smith wasn’t enough of a yes-man.
It’s one thing for Harrison to coldly fixate on Doncic as some sort of “virus” he felt he needed to purge from the Mavericks. But to fire someone important to Doncic OVER VIDEO while they’re simultaneously enduring the imminent death of a parent — one of the hardest things for any human being to deal with — is just flat out callous. Once again, it makes Harrison look like a rash and dishonorable basketball tyrant.
With every additional note we learn about Harrison and Doncic’s relationship disintegrating, I feel even worse for Doncic and Mavericks fans everywhere. You are clearly fighting an uphill battle for this NBA franchise to be relevant and, more importantly, respectable any time soon.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Nico Harrison fired Luka Doncic supporter with Mavericks at worst time
