DALLAS — Coach Jason Kidd is ready to have home-court advantage back at the American Airlines Center.
On Wednesday, one day after the Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison, Kidd said the Mavericks’ fans’ “Fire Nico” chants during games “disrespected” the team’s players, who had no say in trading superstar Luka Dončić last season.
“These guys, they can hear those things,” Kidd said. “And they feel really disrespected. It’s hard to keep guys here when they start to think the home team is not home, and it becomes a visiting place. Hopefully, that changes tonight.”
With 1.2 seconds remaining in Monday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, fans chanted “Fire Nico” while P.J. Washington was at the free-throw line trying to tie the game. Washington missed his second free throw, nixing any realistic chance Dallas had of pulling out a win. The Mavericks lost 116-114 to the Milwaukee Bucks, which dropped the Mavericks to 2-5 at American Airlines Center and 3-8 overall.
“It felt like people weren’t really cheering us on,” Washington said. “Hopefully, that changes.”
Tuesday was a difficult day for Washington, who has known Harrison since he was a teenage basketball prospect growing up in the Dallas suburb of Frisco.
Before the NBA trade deadline in 2024, Harrison traded for Washington and center Daniel Gafford in separate transactions. Those moves strengthened Dallas’ roster around Dončić and helped spur a surprise run to the NBA Finals.
“Obviously, I thanked Nico for what he did for me,” Washington said. “He believed in this group. So did I. I texted him. Thanked him. And just went about (my) business.”
Gafford, who spoke before Wednesday’s game, admitted it was “defeating” to hear “Fire Nico” chants at home games.
“There is a lot of stuff that kind of unfolded,” Gafford said. “It was not in (the) control of anyone on the team. We came out and put a jersey on our back and played basketball. No matter the frustration and discouragement of everything that unfolded. But at the end of the day, we have a job. We play for the Dallas Mavericks.”
Kidd said he hopes Mavericks fans can move on after the team fired Harrison.
“Understanding they got their point across, the fans,” Kidd said. “But we have to move forward. I understand the healing process for the fans. But these guys are playing hard.”
Kidd added he was proud of how his team competed last season while Dallas dealt with a litany of injuries. In February, Anthony Davis suffered an adductor strain that sidelined him for six weeks. In March, Kyrie Irving tore the ACL in his left knee.
Irving is still recovering from his ACL tear. Davis last played Oct. 29, when he exited a game against the Indiana Pacers with a left calf strain. The Mavericks have a 1-5 record without him this year.
“A lot of times we didn’t get credit for playing hard and finding a way to get in the Play-In game with a lot of money in street clothes,” Kidd said. “And again, we have a lot of guys who are in street clothes. I think we had over $100 million on the sideline.
“We are still competing. We are still in games. And we are learning how to win. I would hope we start to get a little credit for that.”