Jason Kidd Urges 'Patience' From Mavs Fans After 'Fire Nico' Chants Amid 0-2 Start
The arrival of Cooper Flagg was supposed to provide some respite from the fan backlash for Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison, but an 0-2 start after Friday's 117-107 loss to the Washington Wizards has their patience running thin again.
Speaking to reporters following his team's loss, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd urged "patience" from the fans after the "Fire Nico" chants were heard at American Airlines Center throughout the game on Friday night:
"I think they have a right to vent, but there's a patience [needed]. It's a different team, it's a new team. We're just getting to understand each other. We're going to keep learning each other. So I would say be patient, but I understand the frustration. We all want to win. We all want to compete at a high level, but it's a game of expression, and fans have a right to express themselves. But that doesn't stop us from coming to work tomorrow and getting better and getting ready for Sunday [against the Toronto Raptors]."
Coming off a 33-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the season opener on Wednesday, the Mavericks looked like they were going to have a strong bounce back.
They jumped out to a 23-9 lead with just under four minutes remaining in the first quarter. It quickly evaporated when the Wizards went on a 28-12 run over the next 6:38 between the end of the first quarter and start of the second quarter to take the lead that it would hold for the rest of the game.
It didn't help Harrison that around the same time the Mavs were struggling against a Wizards team that won 18 games last season, Luka Dončić was in the midst of putting up 49 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists in the Los Angeles Lakers' 128-110 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The "Fire Nico" chants became a staple at American Airlines Center over the final two months of the 2024-25 regular season after Dončić was dealt to the Lakers. One fan even created a mural around the slogan ahead of Dončić's first game back in Dallas on April 9.
Even though the Mavericks haven't taken up the fans on their request thus far, ESPN's Tim MacMahon noted the team hasn't had any discussions about extending Harrison's contract. His current deal has two years remaining on it.
Kidd signed an extension prior to the start of the regular season, though he also had leverage in a way Harrison may not because other teams, notably the New York Knicks, showed interest in hiring him if the Mavs were to make him available.
This season is off to a rough start for the Mavericks, even amid the optimism about Flagg. He was fine against the Wizards with 18 points on 6-of-14 shooting, six assists and five rebounds in 35 minutes.
Flagg is still an 18-year-old learning to play in the NBA, so there are going to be growing pains.
Dallas' first back-to-back of the season is coming up with home games against the Raptors on Sunday and Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday.
