In latest interview, Patrick Dumont shows he will never get it

This organization continues to make a mockery of itself

It’s becoming abundantly clear that the Adelson and Dumont families and general manager Nico Harrison will never get what the Dallas Mavericks organization was built on before they ran it into the ground.

Sunday marks the eighth day since Luka Doncic was inexplicably traded to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Mavericks have once again found a way to step on a rake. This time, majority owner Patrick Dumont gave an exclusive interview to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. These comments, which were his first since the news of the trade broke late last Saturday night, discussed the Luka trade and a few trade-adjacent items of business.

One the one hand, it should be applauded that Dumont has now gone on the record with his role in the trade. On the other, far more important hand, what he said confirms everyone’s biggest fears: From the top on down, this organization seemingly has no clue what its done to itself over the last week and change. Let’s hit a couple of the most notable quotes.

“I’m a big Luka fan”

Dumont, when asked if he thought his team is better now than it was on the morning of Feb. 1, had this to say:

“I do. Look, it’s been an emotional week for everyone. It really has. I clearly understand that, and I really appreciate that.

“I’m a big Luka fan. My family are big Luka fans. I have a really deep appreciation for what he brought to this team, what he brought to Dallas, and the excitement he brings. He’s an electrifying player. I want you to know I really sympathize with all of our fans who feel hurt. Look, as far as I’m concerned, Luka is a Mav for life and I really wish him nothing but happiness and success in his career as he continues in LA.”

Trading a player of Doncic’s stature against his will is certainly an interesting way of expressing your appreciation for him, but who are we to judge. It’s also very telling that when asked about whether or not this team is now better than it previously was, Dumont talked nearly exclusively about Doncic. If you believe in this new version of the Mavs so much, Patrick, why not talk about them?

“If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us”

However, these comments are especially interesting to think about, given what Dumont goes on to say about the organization’s culture and the player traits they value:

“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — [Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal] — they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” he said. “And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.

“That’s who we want. I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”

Ah, yes. Known hard workers like Michael Jordan, a notorious gambler who only played in the 1992 Olympics because they allowed him to play golf everyday. Workers like Larry Bird, who got into a bar fight during the 1985 NBA Playoffs, costing the Boston Celtics a championship. And hard workers like Shaquille O’Neal. The same Shaq who Kobe Bryant said could’ve helped him win “twelve f*cking rings” if he’d have gotten in the gym.

With all due respect, Dumont, who made his worth by marrying into the Adelson family, has overseen the Sands Corporation lose over 25% of its stock value since taking over as the company’s Chief Operating Officer in January of 2021. And if we’re treating the Dallas Mavericks like a business, trading your best asset for pennies on the dollar isn’t exactly driving shareholder wealth, Mr. Dumont.

The organization has indefinitely disconnected itself from the city and its fans

It’s not lost on me that Dumont missed the greatest example of hard work that this city has ever had. The guy whose name is on the street where the American Airlines Center is. The guy who has his silhouette etched into the court because of how impactful he was. That player is Dirk Nowitzki, who also happened to be one of Luka’s biggest advocates.

That is truly where, at the end of the day, all of this starts to breakdown. The base of Nowitzki’s statue says, “LOYALTY NEVER FADES AWAY”. With this move, the Adelson and Dumont families, along with general manager Nico Harrison, have signaled to all of us that they don’t understand what the Mavericks organization was built on. The culture of the Mavericks was built on loyalty. Loyalty to an icon, and an icon’s loyalty to a city. Dirk Nowitzki was the Dallas Mavericks, and Dirk himself was willing to hand the keys of the franchise to Doncic. Moving on from Luka Doncic means moving on from Dirk, too.

So, here we stand. Even for the franchise of Dirk Nowitzki, loyalty is just another word in the dictionary. What a shame.