Mavericks speak out after Nico Harrison firing: ‘We have to move forward’
The Dallas Mavericks have experienced a momentous 24 hours, firing general manger Nico Harrison, a divisive figure among fans, to put it politely.
Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, joined by players PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, talked about the dismissal of the former Nike executive Wednesday.
Kidd talked about how the anti-Harrison sentiment affected the team, specifically some of the “Fire Nico” chants that went on during Mavs players’ free throws.
“We can only hope that we don’t have to go through that again, because it was a little disrespectful,” Kidd said. “Because the guys are playing hard, and they’re trying to win, but that chant when we’re shooting free throws is very disrespectful. But understanding that they got their point across, the fans, but we have to move forward.
“I understand the healing process for the fans, but these guys are playing hard. Ever since the trade, these guys have given everything. We got over, I think, $100 million sitting on the sideline, and we’re still competing. We’re still in games, and we’re learning how to win. So I would hope that we start to get a little credit for that.”
Kidd also pointed out that it was important for players to feel support, not disrespect, from fans.
“These guys, they can hear those things, and they feel really disrespected, and it’s hard to keep guys here in this league when they start to think that the home team is not home, and it becomes a visiting place and so hopefully that changes,” he said.
Washington, who had previously complained about the chants, which happened when he was at the free-throw line, talked about how he hopes fans move forward.
“I felt the same way [as Kidd], I felt like people weren’t really cheering us on, it felt like from a player standpoint. So hopefully that changes,” said Washington.
The vitriol from the fan base to Harrison could be distracting for a young player like rookie No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg, whose mother retweeted a post that said the team couldn’t move on until Harrison was fired, but Kidd, Washington and Gafford all praised his maturity in ignoring the outside noise.
Flagg gave his take on the Harrison firing, saying he would focus on his role and what he can control.
“I mean, for me, it’s about basketball,” he said. “Now, obviously I didn’t have an incredibly long relationship with Nico, but from what I knew him, he seemed like a really great guy, and we had a really solid relationship, and at the end of the day I’m here to play basketball. And you know, whatever goes on, you know, above me, it’s above me. So, you know, I can’t worry about it too much. Just kind of keep trying to show up and, you know, be who I am, and trying to get better every single day.”
Kidd also talked about how hard it was to lose someone you had worked with.
“Yesterday was a tough day for everyone, for the organization, anytime you lose someone because you’ve spent the last four years, but it’s tough,” Kidd said. “But I think when you look at the NBA, season keeps going, we have to continue to push forward.”
Gafford spoke about what the team’s mentality is.
“I think, just like the outlook of it for the team, it’s just the business of basketball, and when it comes to that, our main focus right now is just the basketball side of it,” he said. “We can’t really focus on just whatever goes on behind the scenes, and all the stuff that goes on, the front office stuff. We got games to win at the end of the day. We’ve had a bit of an up-and-down beginning of the season, so our main focus right now is just coming out, just playing hard, just winning basketball games, for sure.”
Dallas Mavs continue to struggle
The Mavs continued their on-court struggles, especially on the offensive side, falling to 3-9 after a 123-114 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.
The average NBA team scores 116.9 points per game this season, a mark that the Mavs have not surpassed in 11 of their 12 games, and coming into Wednesday’s game their 107.2 average was last in the league.
The Mavs cut the deficit to four off a Max Christie dunk with a little under three minutes left as part a comeback effort in the fourth quarter, but they couldn’t complete the rally, in part because of six turnovers.
Injuries continued to plague the Mavs, with Washington being sidelined by a shoulder injury early in the game.
“I thought the group played hard, but to lose [Washington] five minutes into the game with a left shoulder strain that put us down a guy who’s playing well for us,” Kidd said. “But the group kept fighting, competing to the end. It’s just the margin is so small for us, we can’t when we’re behind. We can’t turn the ball over.”
Cooper Flagg watch
Flagg scored 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting with six rebounds, six assists, two blocks and three steals, stuffing the stat sheet, but struggled on the offensive end in the fourth quarter, going 0-for-3 from the field and 1-for-4 from the line.
Flagg headed into the tunnel after getting hit in his left arm during the first quarter with an apparent shoulder injury, but returned to finish the game.
Flagg said he was banged up after the game but downplayed the seriousness, saying it wasn’t anything he couldn’t play through.
He also talked about the physicality of the NBA and how he’s adjusted to do it.
“It’s definitely one of the toughest things for sure. I think the physicality, the pace, the spacing, just getting used to all those different things has been challenging. But you know, it’s nothing crazy,” Flagg said.
Kidd talked about Flagg’s toughness playing through injury and how it inspires the team.
“He got hurt, but I thought he came back and played at a high level, made plays defensively and offensively. He’s a tough kid,” Kidd said. “There’s no quit in him, and I think you can see that his spirit goes throughout the team, and so we need that, but we’ll see how he feels tomorrow.”
The Mavs will be back in action against the Los Angeles Clippers at 7:30 p.m. Friday at American Airlines Center.
This story was originally published November 12, 2025 at 8:43 PM.
