Entertainment
WATCH: Mark Cuban Snaps, Curses Out Mavericks Fans: ‘Shut The F**k Up!’
Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban erupted into a profanity-laced tirade at a group of fans who were calling for the firing of Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison following the trade of the team’s superstar player, Luka Doncic.
The Mavericks organization has largely been gripped by turmoil in recent weeks after the stunning trade, which many NBA analysts are already labeling as one of the worst in league history. Luka Doncic, 25, who is widely regarded as one of the top three players in the world, was shipped off to the Los Angeles Lakers in a trade centered on All-NBA center Anthony Davis.
Davis, 32, has battled injuries over the last two seasons and was injured just days into his Mavericks debut. The trade, which was completely unexpected, has left fans puzzled as the team failed to get much in return for a player who is widely viewed as one of the faces of the NBA in Doncic.
As a result of the deal, Mavericks fans have repeatedly expressed disgust with the team and have called for General Manager Nico Harrison to be fired.
Doncic participates in pre-game warm-ups ahead of a Dallas Mavericks contest in 2021
During the fourth quarter of a tightly contested Mavericks Game against the Sacramento Kings, a fan started a “fire Nico” chant that led to a clash with Cuban, who was sitting court-side. After the Mavericks banked a couple of free throws, Cuban stood up, pointed to a group of fans and yelled “sit the f**k down” and “shut the f**k up!”
The fans were later escorted out of the arena, though Cuban has denied that he had anything to do with the ejections. “I didn’t care what he was saying,” Cuban wrote in an email to CBS News Texas. “He was saying it the whole game. I cared that fans were booing him while we had the ball in crunch time or were shooting FTs (free throws). The time when they should be silent, or cheering for the Mavs… I had no say about who got kicked out. I turned back to watch the game. I spent about 20 [seconds] interacting with him.”
One of the fans, Chris Taylor, told the outlet that he does not believe he violated any rules and was voicing his opinion. “I turned around at one point to our section and started doing this, ‘fire Nico,’ and then when I turned around, Mark Cuban had stood up out of his chair and started yelling at me,” Taylor told the outlet. “He pointed at me and looked right at me and said ‘Sit down, sit down.'”
Mark Cuban to Mavs fans chanting “FIRE NICO”:
“sit the f*ck down and shut the f*ck up!” 😳 pic.twitter.com/jlcjk1Oe6O
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) February 12, 2025
Taylor stated that he went to Monday night’s game in order to voice his opinion on the trade, further claiming that he was being careful to avoid violating the league’s code of conduct. He told CBS News Texas he was loud but “90% of the time” was cheering for the Mavericks.
The fan added that he has not heard from the Mavericks in the aftermath of the incident and is not sure whether he will face additional punishment, such as a ban from the team’s arena.
