The ugliness of the Luka Doncic-Mavericks divorce isn’t going away.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison was in the house for the Lakers’ 107-99 win Tuesday night — and it came just as more negative leaks came out about the Slovenian.
The Athletic reported that “the people who witnessed Doncic’s last days in Dallas do not paint a flattering portrait of the 25-year-old’s professionalism.”
That included Doncic’s “taste for beer and hookah” that played a part in concerns that his health could cause a premature end to his playing career.
Harrison, who orchestrated the trade that sent Doncic to the Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis, had reportedly long been frustrated with the Slovenian’s conditioning and his off-the-court habits.
During a trio of second-quarter Doncic free throws, the Los Angeles crowd erupted in “Thank you Nico,” chants as the TNT broadcast showed the Mavericks GM attempting to ignore the chirps.
The heckling Lakers crowd was not the first and won’t be the last time Harrison will deal with fans poking fun at him for trading their star guard.
Mavericks GM Nico Harrison watches Lakers’ Luka Doncic warm up in Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/Z1gfGnzmnP
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) February 26, 2025
Harrison was previously taunted at an SMU basketball game on Feb. 12, and Mavericks fans were even thrown out of home games for “Fire Nico” chants and signs.
ESPN Mavericks reporter Tim MacMahon said on the “Hoop Collective Podcast” Tuesday that Harrison typically sits courtside for games but he hadn’t sat there at the American Airlines Center since the trade.
“I didn’t see him in warmups,” Doncic said of his former boss, despite Harrison sitting on the scorer’s table watching him shoot around.
There was no direct interaction between the Doncic and the Mavericks front office, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Doncic finished with a final line of 19 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists.
