Stephen A. Smith Understands the Pain of Mavs Fans Watching Luka Doncic Ascend

Joseph Galizia | 13/11/2025
Nov 10, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward/guard Luka Doncic (77) floats a shot towards the basket during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center.

Nico Harrison, the man who orchestrated Luka Doncic’s move to the Los Angeles Lakers in February, has finally been fired, a move seen by many as a long time coming. The Mavericks are in shambles, and Luka is thriving in LA, which, for fans in Big D, is difficult to digest.

Harrison’s removal from his role as general manager does not help the Mavericks immediately climb out of 14th place in the Western Conference standings. They are currently 3–8 and without Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving. All that is left for the Mavs is rookie Cooper Flagg, veteran Klay Thompson, and a group of role players who simply are not getting the job done.

The media has been having a field day watching Nico get the boot, and that now includes ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith. Smith broke down the reality that fans in Big D now have to face: the Lakers are red-hot and one of the most dominant teams in the conference thanks to Luka, while the Mavs remain in shambles.

“The way it is right now, the Lakers are a Top 4 seed in the Western Conference, and Dallas is the second-to-worst team in the entire Western Conference. Only the New Orleans Pelicans are worse than them. When you look at it from that standpoint, that’s where the real problem lies,” Smith stated.

It is a mind-numbing experience for long-suffering Mavericks fans. In 2024, Luka led the team to its first Finals appearance since the championship run with Dirk Nowitzki in 2011. It finally looked like they had found their winning combination with Kyrie and Doncic. Then, of course, the trade happened.

“Not only is he a superstar, but he’s playing like one, and his team is winning while your team is losing,” added SAS. “So the city of Dallas may be watching Luka ascend and fighting alongside LeBron James and Austin Reaves and these boys, competing for a championship, while the Dallas Mavericks are home. Can you imagine that?”

Smith has never been shy about punching down, and while this was low-hanging fruit, he is absolutely right. The American Airlines Center does not need to chant “Fire Nico” anymore, but now fans have to watch a team that simply does not have it together.

Right now, the Mavericks cannot afford to look too far ahead. They just need to focus on each matchup as it comes. They will host the Suns tonight before facing the Clippers in an NBA Cup showdown, and then wrap up their homestand against the Trail Blazers. After that, things get tougher with a road trip to Minnesota to face the Timberwolves, followed by a home game against the Knicks.

At this stage, Dallas just needs something to rally around. Maybe it is a statement victory, maybe it is a surprise performance, or maybe it is someone stepping up while AD sits out. The fans have been through plenty since the Luka trade, and their patience is wearing thin.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic Stephen A Smith

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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