‘Still Mad, Still Watching’: Mavs Fans Struggle to Move On Without Luka Before New Season

The NBA 2025-26 season is just a week away and many of us in Dallas are simply not ready for it to begin. When the Mavericks take the court against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 22, it will be the first time since 2017 that the team has started a season without the one and only Luka Doncic. 

Following the Slovenian star’s emotional return to Dallas in April, he said in an interview that it was time to move on and accept his new normal as a Los Angeles Laker. Maybe he has, but it is clear that a giant chunk of Mavs fans, or former Mavs fans, have not accepted it. 

How do we know this? Last week, we asked our social media followers across all our channels if they were still mad at the Mavericks and if they planned on watching the team this year. To be sure, there are plenty of self-proclaimed MFFLs, or Mavericks fans for life, who let us know they have, in fact, moved on and are ready to root for the current club, but for the majority of those who spoke up, it’s a lot more complicated. 

A little fewer than 40% of respondents are going to support the team this year, even if they are still upset over the trade and still want GM Nico Harrison run out of town. About that same number told us they will not be supporting the Mavs in any way because of the trade. 

However, a significant number of commenters admitted to feeling even more conflicted than that, to the point that they were still unsure if they’d watch the team play this year, and if they did, it would be from a more detached, less enthusiastic perspective. Nearly 20%, however, echoed the #FireNico chant heard around the world over the spring and said they would only support the Mavericks once Harrison’s Dallas office is empty. 

The Mavericks reportedly lost 700,000 Instagram followers in the days immediately following the Feb. 1 trade. In March, Mavericks beat reporter Tim Cato polled more than 4,000 self-identifying Mavericks fans and found that 80% were much less engaged or reconsidering their fandom. Our non-scientific survey, more than six months later, suggests the conflict still exists, even if things have grown a bit easier with time. 

They say that time heals all wounds, but for the Mavericks, the passing of time likely has nothing on miraculously landing the No. 1 overall draft pick in a year where a consensus future all-star is waiting to be chosen. Many around town have not had any problems admitting that seeing former Duke star Cooper Flagg in a Mavs uniform is enough to at least bring them back into the fold on a casual basis, while the team has made statements suggesting picking Flagg has been good for business in the post-Luka world. 

We admit that adding Flagg to a roster with Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, and eventually, a returning Kyrie Irving , is intriguing and hard to pass up from a purely basketball perspective. Many people who left remarks noted that Dallas should be a competitive team even without Doncic. But count us among the majority of commenters here who expressed some form of conflicted emotions when envisioning what our fandom might entail for the 2025-26 season.  

Our survey yielded dozens of variations on four main outcomes: no, I will not watch the Mavericks in 2025; yes, I will watch the Mavericks in 2025; I will watch the Mavericks, but it won’t be the same and I won’t care as much; and I will only watch the Mavericks again after Nico Harrison is fired and/or the current ownership group sells. 

The single most popular answer we received displayed the emotional turmoil many are feeling: “Yes, I am still mad, and yes, I will still watch and support the team.” Well, that was probably the second most offered comment, behind “Fire Nico.”

Here’s what Observer readers had to say about the Dallas Mavericks in 2025 and if they’ll support the team.

No, I Will Not Support the Mavericks

For hundreds of our commenters, having a competitive roster with a possible Doncic superstar successor is too little, too late. Or more specifically, it’s too Luka-less, period. 

Eric on Facebook:

Nah I’m done. I’ll watch the NBA in general. Nothing against the players on the Mavs but that trade was too much. Luka was our post Dirk and bridged area generations together. This is a rare exception where a trade has actual consequences. Everyone else, do what you like. 

Matt on Instagram: 

Nope, the Mavericks organization is dead to me. Cooper Flagg seems like a good kid though and I hope he has a good career.

Dave on Facebook: 

I ended my season tickets after 24 years because of the trade and the ticket price increase. I’ve literally followed the team since the first game and now I kind of don’t care.

Yes, I Will Support the Mavericks in 2025

In what was basically a tie for the most popular answer, plenty of MFFLs showed up in our comments. Indeed, people were pissed off and are still angry over the trade, but many of these fans lived through the 1990s, when the Mavericks were literally the worst team in the NBA for years on end. 

Stephen on Facebook:

Yes I’m still mad… But if I could watch through the Mavs of the ’80s and ’90s why stop now? My team is my team regardless. … The only difference now is that I lump Nico in with Jerry Jones as 2 pieces of shit that are hell bent on destroying my teams. … Now Coop has my loyalty by default, and Luka is the enemy by default no matter how much I like him. … Dallas forever!!!

Bobby on Instagram: 

Bleed blue. Looking forward to next chapter.

Eman on Facebook:

If you’re still mad even with the Mavs having this stacked roster, you should probably go see a therapist — even Luka said it’s time to move on months ago when last season was still going on.

DL On Facebook:

I used to be a Luka-sexual, but now I’m a Cooper-cuff

I’ll Support the Team After Nico Harrison and/or the Owners Are Gone

Answers in this category came in a much closer third place than we anticipated. In fact, many commenters, regardless of their answers, let us know that they were not “mad at the Mavericks” as we asked in our original social media post last week, but mad at Harrison and the current ownership group led by Patrick Dumont, the son-in-law of Sands Corp. majority shareholder and top Trump backer Miriam Adelson. 

Vern on Facebook:

I will not watch the Mavericks until Kidd and Nico are gone. I could give a fuck about a rookie. Show me your accomplishments next year.

Chris on Instagram:

Fire Nico. Still against Mavs brass so I won’t be rooting for them or even paying attention. The fact that Dirk doesn’t like him when Dirk likes everyone says it all.

Chuck on Facebook:

Not until Nico leaves!!! Normally. I’d be over it with all the positives. But that was our Luka. He’s a laker now. He wanted to be here!! Coulda gotten some #1s at least. Such a bad GM

I’ll Watch the Team, But It Won’t be the Same

Even though this was our fourth most popular category of responses, it still represents what many Mavs fans are feeling with the new season only days away. People don’t like letting others control what they do or what they enjoy, but sometimes, it’s difficult to simply get over that hump, even though you might try. 

Michael on FB: 

I’m on the fence … it was easier because I had moved away, but I’m moving back to Texas in a few months. It’ll be exciting to watch Cooper for sure. At the same time, I really want to see Luka win a championship. Maybe he can hit the game-winning shot in the Western Conference Finals and point at Nico as his team carries him off the court. Either way, #FireNico #SellTheTeam

Barbara on Facebook:

Yes, we’ll be watching, but it’s just not the same without Luka.

Michael on Instagram:

I stopped watching basketball since the trade. But with Cooper Flagg, I’ll check in from time to time. Not renewing my season ticket thoough.