"Throw Nico out!": the most heard slogan at the Dallas Mavericks' arena during Luka Doncic's return

After just 4 seconds of action in Luka Doncic's return to Dallas, the first chant demanding the immediate removal of the general manager of the Dallas Mavericks, Nico Harrison, erupted, the one responsible for trading the Slovenian to the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Fire Nico! Fire Nico!" chanted thousands of fans at the packed American Airlines Center during the Wednesday game's first timeout.

It's a phrase that has been heard frequently in the Dallas area since one of the most surprising trades in NBA history occurred before midnight on February 1, as chants have erupted at places like Medieval Times, St. Patrick's Day parades, and a variety of sporting events. It has been shouted multiple times at every Mavs home game since Doncic's sudden departure, but never as frequently as when he returned to his former home wearing the Lakers' uniform.

The chant grew louder and continued after Doncic exited the game for the last time with 1:34 to go in the Lakers' 112-97 victory. He had finished with 45 points and fouled out so the Mavs fans could give him a final standing ovation. After the ovation faded, the chant of "Fire Nico!" echoed through the arena again.

"I'm not going to comment," said Mavs power forward Anthony Davis, the centerpiece of the package Dallas received in exchange for Doncic. "I'm not going to talk about that."

Harrison, who has not been available to reporters since he briefly addressed them in Cleveland the day after the trade, remained stoic in a midcourt tunnel during the game and did not react to the chants.

The Mavs players did their best to ignore them.

"It was tough because they were doing it when we were shooting free throws and also when they were shooting," Mavs center Daniel Gafford told ESPN. "I felt like they were overdoing it a little while we were shooting free throws, but who am I to say? I was just focused on simply ignoring it."

"Guys were talking about it on the bench. I was like, 'Look, at the end of the day, the trade happened, and the fans didn't like it. So they're trying to deal with it, of course. Sometimes, the only way to deal with something is through communication. That's what they did tonight in the stands."

Mavs center Dereck Lively II, who exchanged autographed jerseys with Doncic after the game, insisted that the chants did not affect the team.

"I feel like people are just trying to jump on the bandwagon, but it's not going to change anything," Lively told ESPN. "This is what we have. If they're trying to jump off the ship, it will be too late once we start succeeding. So, the important thing is to make sure we support each other. No matter what we hear, no matter the outside noise, we support each other."

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd declined to answer whether Doncic's brilliant performance had generated any remorse over the trade, saying his job is to "coach the players who are in that locker room."

Kidd emphasized that the Mavs are improving in terms of health as minutes restrictions increase for several key players, including Davis, Lively, and Gafford. The coach mentioned that the team's sole focus is on preparing to face the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference play-in game, which Dallas still has a chance to host.

"That's the only thing we care about," Kidd said. "Understanding the excitement and all the attention around this game, that game's passed. There's nothing we can do. He's not coming back as a Mav. He's with the Lakers, so we move forward, and that's what we've done."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¡Echad a Nico!: el lema más escuchado en el pabellón de Dallas Mavericks durante el regreso de Luka Doncic