The last 2 weeks might’ve been hell Dallas Mavericks fans. It’s already enough that they’re going through a torrid season after the high-flying championship final appearance last season. The Luka Doncic transfer to the LA Lakers might’ve been the last straw- nothing’s computing for them. But that isn’t the end of the drama for the Texan team. NBA legends Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson have no option but to speak out and give hope to the unending barrage of angry Mavs fans, which came after their 128-129 OT defeat to the Sacramento Kings at the American Airlines Center.
With 8 minutes left on the clock, the Mavs had a healthy 12-point lead over the Kings. They were set to win their third game on the trot, inspired by talismen Thompson and Kyrie- before it all went down the drain. The Kings managed to tie the score in the dying seconds of the game, forcing them into OT. It started exactly as Dallas wanted it to. Klay even scored a majestic 3-pointer to seal the deal with 9.8s on the clock. But the word of the day for the Mavs is ‘complacency’, which caused them to concede 4 points in the last 9 seconds of OT to lose the game with a solitary point. 49 of the 128 points came from Klay and Kyrie alone, proving a much-needed focus in finding a support system for their all-timers.
Captain Klay doesn’t blame the Mavs faithful for being pissed at the team though- in fact he sees it as extra motivation to give them better performances. He was quoted saying, “But it’s our job to try and convince them that there’s really great days ahead, not just for this year but years ahead.” You could see the look on his face after the defeat- as all his hard work so far this season has not proved to be as fruitful as he’d hoped.
Credit: Imagn Images
Uncle Drew wasn’t going to stay quiet either. He’s their team leader, after all. He acknowledges the fans’ demands for some quality, considering their second place last season. “To see the emotions come out like that over basketball, that just shows you that basketball is not just a game to certain people. It’s a spiritual experience. It’s a connector piece, and they watch their favorite players and they want to see them forever. So I run the side of just understanding where people are coming from.” His performances week-in week-out are the only ray of hope the Mavs fans are hanging onto. If he loses faith, it’s over for them.
Mark Cuban involved in heated fan altercations during Kings game
American businessman and Mavs minority stake owner Mark Cuban had a night to forget. No, he didn’t play the game- but his presence in the stands fighting with the fans garnered national attention. As mentioned earlier, many fans are justifiably outraged at the horrible mismanagement of the Mavs team- particularly Nico Harrison. The president of basketball operations and general manager of the Dallas Mavericks’ decision-making in the Doncic trade really worked against him. It’s almost as if the Mavs fans won’t rest until they have his head on a stick- something they made abundantly clear by shouting ‘Fire Nico’ from the stands during the Kings game.
A few fans got kicked out as well- with some of them being told by Mark Cuban to “shut the f— up and sit the f— down!” This obviously didn’t sit well with the Mavs faithful. One of them even took to X to let him know of the same. “You don’t own the team, motherf—er. You ain’t got no say. You don’t own the team. Clearly, you have- you pull no weight in this organisation. You feel me? You ain’t got a say what the f— happens at the AAC. Ain’t nobody listening to yout bi–h a– anymore.” Yikes.
ESPN reporter Tim McMahon got caught in the crossfire too. “Y’all talking sh– on Grant? F— you, Tim McMahon, bi–h a–. Who you talking shit about?” This comes after Tim’s comments of former Mavs player Grant Williams rubbing off on people wrongly due to ‘yapping’ a lot. Seems like the fan had poured his heart out enough for him to get national coverage.
Dallas fan, who had a verbal altercation with Cuban during the game (and was thrown out) has a message for Cuban and Tim MacMahon pic.twitter.com/hTbE4PiTQ9
— SLO HOOPS FAN (@SloHoopsFan) February 11, 2025
I think it’s safe to say that both Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson have their heads held up high after their OT loss- even if there are fans who don’t. The Mark Cuban incident is just one of millions of Mavs fans looking for answers as they sit 8th in the Western Conference.
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