It wasn’t just Dirk Nowitzki who bristled at the Mavericks’ controversial Luka Dončić trade, the fans unleashed the kind of fury no GM or owner wants to face. Dallas essentially signed its own fate when it sent away Dončić, a figure as iconic to the city as Kobe Bryant is to Los Angeles. But in the NBA, it’s always business. The bold banner “In Nico We Trust” hung over owner Patrick Dumont as he watched the deal unfold, handing Luka to the Lakers, a move that still casts a shadow over the front office, especially as a Luka-less Mavericks squad limps through a 3-7 start to the season.

Dallas beat writer Ron Harrod Jr. shared some insight into the fan reaction, reporting, “ The kid’s name is Nicholas Dickason ,” who was spotted sitting next to Patrick Dumont during the Mavericks’ g

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