With the Dallas Mavericks squaring off against the L.A. Lakers for the first time in the regular season this year, and for the first time since the departure of Nico (pronounced a$$hole) Harrison, I’m feeling more excited about watching this game than I’d expected. It’s only been like two weeks, but I’m already feeling relief from the irreversible trauma Harrison instigated last season, perhaps out of rich-kid boredom. What I mean to say is that I’m feeling better about being a Mavs fan than I have in almost a full year, and that’s even with the team sitting at 5-14. Hell, they could go winless and I’d be happier to be a fan than if they’d won a championship with Harrison still onboard.
Mavericks fans have been torn over this topic – to some degree – since February, but I still found it difficult to trust the “true-blue fans” who were hating on those of us who “just couldn’t let go” in the months after the Doncic trade. “It’s sports; get over it”, or “Here we go with this crap again”, or “Can’t you talk about anything else?” seemed to be the preferred shade words at the time.
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Well, that “not letting go”, I can guarantee you, was a major impetus for the firing of the aforementioned rat. (It also helped that the team started slowly and the franchise’s governor apparently started listening to more reasonable advice and opinions). But, obviously, if the fanbase hadn’t continued to bare its teeth in the face of that betrayal, we might still be riding the Nico-tsunami towards the edge of the flat earth. But, I digress…
What I really wanted to say is that, even though it sucks that Luka is gone, I feel more firmly resolved to get behind this Mavs team than at any point since February because it feels like the team belongs to the fans again (or at least that magic veil which makes it appear that way is now back across our eyes). Catharsis is replacing the anger quickly, which is a natural occurrence when wrongs are admitted to and righted.
The team has struggled this far, in large part, due to injuries. Anyone watching knows that. And there’s been a lot of noise about trades brewing (which always happens when a team starts off slow). And maybe one or two will occur. But I have a feeling, either way, that the players, themselves, will start to have more fun when they begin to feel the energy shift back where it should’ve been all along. If they can get healthy and string some wins together, who knows how quickly they can build confidence and cohesion as a team? Either way, it’ll be easier to accept the outcome at the end of the season.
It feels good to be back, even if we don’t win.
