The San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks have a long-standing rivalry, but no one would call it “bitter.” Both Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitizski had massive respect for one another, and for the most part, the two fanbases see themselves as equals. Yes, the Spurs have had more historical success, but both teams are known for their loyalty to their home-grown stars. Last month, that all changed.
The Mavericks, or more specifically general manager Nico Harrison, made the baffling choice to trade Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, a team the Spurs and the fanbase have long hated. While the Silver and Black loyal wouldn’t be happy to see the Mavericks succeed, seeing the Lakers reap the fruits of Harrison’s incompetence hurts even more, and fans sent a message to the Mavericks on Monday. During the Spurs’ most recent loss, fans at the Frost Bank Center took a page from Dallas’ book. Mavs fans have chanted “Fire Nico” at the GM, worn shirts, and even bought billboards to express their displeasure, and Spurs fans are just as enraged. From a business, team, and basketball standpoint, trading Doncic for pretty much anyone in the league not named Victor Wembanyama would be baffling, but trading him for the often-injured Anthony Davis is just salt in the wound. Spurs fans posted a video of them letting Harrison get an earful, even away from the usually-hostile Mavericks crowd.
