Receiving criticism is part of the job for an NBA general manager. 

Having to use emergency portable stairs as a personal escape route to escape the wrath of angry fans, however, is an unheard level of vitriol. However, after what Nico Harrison did to the Mavericks basketball franchise, it might just be warranted.

Harrison, the orchestrator of one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, was fired from his position as the Dallas Mavericks’ president of basketball operations and general manager.

For months, he was ridiculed for his decision to trade star guard Luka Dončić. A top-five player in basketball, Dončić was only 25, meaning he hadn’t even reached his full potential, and yet was inexplicably traded. 

Outraged fans called for Harrison’s removal. Just one year ago, Dončić and the Mavs reached the NBA Finals, just three games away from winning a championship. 

That’s what made this move so puzzling. The team was so close to figuring it out, making it all the way. Harrison trading Dončić was a slap in the face to all the hard work he put into the organization. He wanted to win a championship as a Maverick, not as a Laker. 

Dončić’s struggle to hold back tears during his tribute video makes it abundantly clear: he wanted to stay. Harrison’s hubris ripped that hope away.

Dončić was supposed to be the successor to the greatest Dallas Maverick of all time, Dirk Nowitzki.

Nowitzki, the 2007 NBA Most Valuable Player, stayed with the team for 21 years. No other player has ever stayed with a team for a longer period. Nowitzki, just like Dončić, desperately wanted to win a title for Dallas.

Notably, he lost in the 2006 NBA Finals. Did the Mavericks respond by trading him?

No. Although there were ups and downs, he stayed with the team through thick and thin. The team bet on their franchise superstar.

It paid off. In 2011, Nowitzki rewarded the Mavericks’ faith by winning a championship against all odds by defeating the overwhelming favorite Miami Heat. 

It was a testament to the resilience the Mavericks had built over the years, something that could not have been done if the team had been impatient and decided to trade Nowitzki at the first sign of trouble. 

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Harrison. He was unable to trust his own star, trading him due to concerns about weight management. 

Never mind the fact that during the playoff run, Dončić was suffering from a bruised chest, a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness. Criticizing him for being overweight was out of touch, glossing over all the physical trauma his body had been through.

Not even a year removed from their Finals appearance, Harrison decided to give up on Dončić. 

“It was very sad… The fans feel like they got robbed of actually seeing the end, seeing this through,” Nowitzski said when asked about the trade. “Seeing Luka develop into a champion one day. Felt like they never got to see the end to this, very heartbreaking.” Maybe the Mavericks would not have won a championship with Dončić. Maybe it would not be a fairy-tale storybook ending like Nowitzki’s.But not even having the chance is painful to accept. 

Firing Harrison was a necessary decision, however, the damage is already done.

The “Fire Nico!” chants are justified. Fans rightfully deserve to feel contempt toward their past general manager. At the very least, the people of Dallas deserve an apology.