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Lakers crowd mocks Mavericks GM with chant over Luka Doncic trade: 'Thank you, Nico Harrison'

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•02/25/25•

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Nico Harrison
Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

For the first time since trading Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison is getting a look at his former superstar. Doncic is now a Laker and sharing the court with his old team in Los Angeles. Tensions have been quite high for a regular season matchup and early in the second half, Doncic is filling up the stat sheet.

The Crypto.com crowd is having some fun with the occasion too. Harrison was mocked by Laker fans by starting “Thank you Nico” chants. Doncic was at the free-throw line at the time as they were even audible on the TNT broadcast.

Certainly adds to the surreal feeling around the whole trade, especially from Dallas’ end. Nobody is more thankful the transaction was made than Laker fans hoping to watch their team win another NBA Championship.

You can check out the full sequence here.

This is not the first time someone has thanked Harrison. During Doncic’s introductory press conference, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka did the same. While the two NBA executives are good friends, not too often do you see these kinds of comments after a trade.

“The second person I want to thank is anytime there’s a trade or a transaction there has to be a partner and I want to thank the Dallas Mavericks,” Pelinka said. “Led by their GM Nico Harrison who was also very instrumental in bringing this opportunity to us and then staying true to the negotiations throughout where it culminated with the trade being finalized and Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber, and Markieff Morris becoming members of our team.”

It’s easy to see why people associated with Los Angeles are thankful for Harrison. Through four games, Doncic is averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. Great numbers for most players but quite pedestrian for the 25-year-old. He is just scratching the surface with his new squad.

Saturday against the Denver Nuggets is when vintage Doncic really came out for the first time. Going for 32 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists is more what NBA fans are used to seeing from Doncic. Just three dimes away from his first triple-double with the team.

More is certainly on the way. Not many teams in the NBA are playing better than the Lakers right now, winning seven of nine in the month of February. Taking down the Mavericks on Tuesday would mean a little more than the others, at least in Doncic’s eyes.