Mavericks owner talks to fans wearing Lakers Luka jerseys hours before Nico opens fire
Hours before the Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison, team owner Patrick Dumont found himself at the center of a viral moment on the sidelines that perfectly summed up the franchise's ongoing turmoil.
A photo that quickly circulated on social media showed Dumont having a lengthy conversation with an 18-year-old fan wearing a Lakers Luka Doncic jersey — a striking image given the still-stoking outrage over the trade that sent Doncic to Los Angeles earlier this year.
Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont with fans wearing Luka Lakers jerseys pic.twitter.com/YzzYJ1Qv6P
— Christian Clark (@christianpclark) November 11, 2025
The fan, Nicholas Dickason, later told the Dallas Morning News that the interaction was not as hostile as the photos suggested. In fact, Dickason said he apologized to Dumont.
“I pissed him off in a game earlier in the season,” Dickason admitted. “My dad saw it and asked me to apologize to Dumont the next time I see him.”
Dickason added “[Dumont] Saying he's trying to do what's best for the organization, “Sometimes your intentions are good, but you make mistakes.” We all do it. “
The comments fueled speculation that the owner privately admitted regretting the Doncic trade, although it's unclear whether that was his true intention.
As the report notes, “We do not have Dumont's version of the story,” leaving room for interpretation.
Still, photos of the owner and the boy went viral online just hours before Harrison was fired, making the exchange all the more important.
Dumont's willingness to talk to fans wearing Doncic's Lakers jersey underscores his awareness of public sentiment and the deep frustration of a fan base still trying to move on.
While Harrison ultimately paid the price for the disastrous trade, many around the league noted that such a move would never have happened without ownership approval.
Tuesday's firing was yet another example of how bad things have gotten since the Luka trade.
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