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The chaos of the Dallas Mavericks is even greater than before. In a new report it becomes clear how big the problems really are. Legende Dirk Nowitzki also plays a central role.
It was less than a year ago that the Dallas Mavericks were in the NBA finals. The series against the Boston Celtics was clearly lost with 1: 4, but the Mavs seemed to be only a few puzzle parts from the second title of franchise history because of their superstar Luka Doncic.
But not even a year later, the Mavericks broke out complete chaos. Mavs -GM Nico Harrison shocked the basketball world – and especially the fans of the Mavericks – and took superstar Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in early February. After numerous injuries, Dallas already failed in the play-ins.
Dirk Nowitzki is said to have broken with those responsible for the Dallas Mavericks
In addition, Harrison always irritates with questionable statements. Finally, he was surprised, for example, of the value that Doncic had for the fans and the entire city: “I knew that Luka was important to the fan base. I didn’t know exactly, to what extent.” The fans had taken thousands on the streets after the trade and have been demanding that of the GMS since then.
Did Mavericks chaos start over a year ago?
And these screams could become even louder in the near future. Because, according to a new background report by ESPN, Harrison has even smuggled with various actions in the past time Dirk Nowitzki. So the man who is considered a saint in Dallas since the 2011 championship and whose statue is in front of the arena.
It has long been clear that Nowitzki saw the Doncic trade critically. With his visit to the Slovenian debut for the Los Angeles Lakers in La, he set an example.
“I will always be a MAV for my whole life, but I had to come to support Luka in the first game of his new chapter!” Novitzki then wrote.
But before had happened much more. The relationship between Harrison and Nowitzki, who previously maintained at least a trusting relationship, and thus also between Nowitzki and the franchise were already included in the basketball Hall of Fame in the summer of 2023 is said to have started to crumble.
For the ceremony, Harrison had traveled to Springfield with his wife and was a Mavericks tour that Nowitzki celebrated in August 2023. At that time there was also Casey Smith, who was still head of the Mavericks’ medical department at that time and while Nowitzki’s career was a close confidant. Both have connected a close friendship since then.
Did Nowitzki distant itself from the MAVs because of this discharge?
Just a few days after the joint celebration, there was a first decision that irritated Nowitzki. Harrison decided to dismiss Nowitzki’s narrow confidants in the Mavericks – and at a time when Smith was in Ohio at the side of his sick mother, who died a little later.
Because Smith could therefore not come to Dallas, the GM apparently informed its employee to his employee during a video call. His services were no longer necessary after almost two decades in the Mavericks.
The reasons that the Tim Macmahon von ESPN always well informed about the MAVS shows are particularly piquant. Smith was “too negative”. Harrison did not fit that he was not a yes-Sager.
“He was 100 percent afraid of him,” said an anonymous voice from the Mavericks organization at ESPN . The GM had feared that Smith’s voice in the franchise was too much weight: “That’s why he showed that he is in charge and that nobody can question it.”
Nowitzki for a long time no longer inside Mavs circle
Various sources confirmed ESPN that the dismissal of Smith and in particular the way Nowitzki had annoyed. The MAVS legend is said to have decided for a long time not to work inside the organization in the inner circle, but to be “only MAVS fan”.
When Mark Cuban was still the owner of the Mavericks and also made active decisions about the team, Nowitzki had assisted him and regularly visited the training sessions and stood by the team with his advice.
With Scott Tomlin, another Nowitzki confidante, who was very close to Smith, is saying goodbye to the franchise after almost two decades and became director of the “Dirk-Nowitzki Foundation”.
Both Smith, Tomlin and of course now also Nowitzki were close confidants of Luka Doncic. It is therefore not surprising that Nowitzki and Tomlin have only visited two NBA games since February: Doncic’s debut at the Lakers on February 10 and his return to Dallas on April 9.
Nowitzki: MAVS develop in “different directions”
The statements of the Mavs legend and that of Nico Harrison appear in a different light due to the now uncovered currents within the Mavericks organization and the distancing between Nowitzki and his heart franchise.
Harrison had said during a press round last week: “In my responsibility, this is probably the Dallas Mavericks. All actions that I have carried out were in the best interest of the Dallas Mavericks. This is the most important. Some of these decisions were certainly not the most popular and may have angered Dirk or fans, but only for me is important to the Dallas Mavericks.”
The clear edge compared to the franchise legend had surprised many. Nowitzki himself had previously said in a varied way in the Campus41 podcast of his foundation: “Last year you could already see that the team is developing in a different direction. Now we finally see the results.”
A development that seemed unimaginable
The fact that Nowitzki turns away from his franchise at least in a way is a development that seemed unimaginable. After all, the German superstar had remained loyal to the Mavs during his active people in good and bad times.
Former Mavs owner Cuban recently reminded of Nowitzki in a post on X: “Dirk is the Dallas Mavericks. Then, today and forever. Nobody should ever forget that. This statue will be here forever.”
After all, Harrison seems to understand that slowly – on Monday he described Nowitzki as “the most important person for the franchise”.
However, this all the more raises the question of how he could dare to disappoint the legend loved by the fans.
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