When the trade announcement of Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis was made, fans of the Dallas Mavericks were outraged. They quickly gathered outside the American Airlines Center to protest. While protesting after a trade has already been finalized may seem pointless, the fans need to express their opinions and show their passion for the team.
While these protests won’t bring Luka Doncic back to the Dallas Mavericks, they show that the fanbase is passionate and ready to hold the Mavericks organization accountable. If more NBA fanbases were as engaged, the league would become stronger and more competitive.
Take, for example, the Sacramento Kings, who went 16 seasons without making the playoffs (2006–2023). If their fanbase had abandoned the organization in 2010, it’s less likely that it would have taken the Kings another 13 years to build a competitive team. Without fan demand for improvement, the Kings likely felt they had no obligation to enhance the team’s performance.
Some fanbases appear to embrace the concept of tanking, intentionally losing games for a chance at high draft picks in hopes of achieving future success. A prime example of this is the Philadelphia 76ers’ slogan, “Trust the Process.” From 2012 to 2017, the Sixers failed to make the playoffs, recording win totals of 34, 19, 18, 10, and 28 games during those five challenging seasons. Following that period, they experienced six consecutive seasons of being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, one season in which they were swept in the first round by Boston, and now they are again headed back to the lottery. This raises the question: if second-round exits are the best you can hope for, what was the point of enduring those five difficult seasons?
The Dallas Mavericks fanbase has made it clear that they will not accept mediocrity. Although adding Anthony Davis will enhance the team’s balance, fans will remain dissatisfied until he gets healthy, steps up, and helps the Mavericks win.
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