A night of celebration for the Dallas Mavericks’ General Manager turned into another public airing of frustration, as fans at the team’s official 2025 NBA Draft Watch Party erupted into chants of “Fire Nico!”.
Held at the American Airlines Center, the watch party was meant to mark a new era for the Mavericks. Dallas had defied the odds to land the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, which they used to select Duke phenom Cooper Flagg, who is a generational talent expected to become the new face of the franchise.
“Fire Nico” chants at the AAC for the Dallas Mavericks Draft Watch Party.
Dallas is currently on the clock with the No. 1 pick. pic.twitter.com/qmYnQw2ePb
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) June 26, 2025
But even as cheers rang out for Flagg, they were quickly drowned by a chorus of boos and chants targeting Harrison.
Back in February, Harrison shocked the NBA world by trading Luka Dončić—along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris—to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick. The move was met with immediate backlash, and the fallout only intensified after both Davis and Kyrie Irving suffered injuries, derailing the Mavericks’ postseason hopes.
The Mavericks’ front office has framed the Flagg pick as the beginning of a new chapter. “A new era begins tonight,” the team posted on social media. But the reaction from fans suggests that the wounds of the past still run deep.\
