Washington made his feelings known in the post-game presser Sunday afternoon
The Dallas Mavericks faced the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday afternoon, losing 130-125. Although the result for Dallas has been all too familiar of late, the home crowd received a sight for sore eyes with the return of P.J. Washington to the lineup.
After sitting out the prior eight games, Washington reminded Mavs fans just how badly he is missed when unable to suit up. Despite going 0-for-3 from beyond the arc, Washington lit it up to the tune of nearly 65% shooting on 17 shots. He led all scorers with 29 points, and all rebounders with 12 boards.
At one point during the game, Washington found himself on the free throw line. As has become routine since the Luka Doncic trade, when the arena goes quiet, someone kicks off a “Fire Nico” chant. After the game, Washington was asked about the situation and had this to say: “At the end of the day, the trade has happened. We understand we have a new team now. All that ‘fire Nico’ stuff, we’re sick and tired of hearing it. We just want to go out there and play and want the fans to support us no matter who’s on the floor.”
We are a month-and-a-half past the trade, yet the fans have not yet satiated their need to make their feelings known. From protests outside the AAC in the immediate aftermath of the trade, to fans being ejected from home games for expressing their feelings by way of words, shirts and signs, to the perpetual simmer of “Fire Nico” shouts whenever the arena drops below 75 decibels, the message is loud and clear. Understandable when the franchise not only traded their adopted son and generational talent, but immediately spiraled into a seemingly bottomless pit of injuries and losses which sees them barely clinging to the final spot in the Play-In.
Despite the fall from grace, Washington makes a valid point. There are still 17 players who call themselves Mavericks and nearly 20,000 fans who show up to the AAC even in the darkest of days that feature games such as the likes of which we saw today — a display of 18 total players across two teams that have a combined win total equal to that of the Cleveland Cavaliers! Washington worked his way back to health to scrap and claw for this game and at least thirteen others that will follow, just to have a chance to play at least one more beyond that. A lot of people also showed up to watch, likely doing so for more than just hot dogs and beer. We’ve collectively witnessed the gamut of fan outcomes across social media platforms. Some have chosen to renounce their fandom altogether. Some have decided they would press on no matter what. Some had their moment of defiance and persisted in rooting for a less recognizable Mavericks squad and some will not remain quiet for quite some time. There is no correct answer on how to feel, and frankly, it is tough to imagine a scenario where talk of the Luka trade does not continue for many years to come.
At the expense of over-editorializing, Washington’s comments struck a particular chord with me. When rally cries for a protest were first put forth, it made all the sense in the world to me. People were quite literally hurt on a visceral level. The feeling of betrayal was very, very real to people and their only recourse was putting their feelings on full display. I could relate to the sad feelings as a fan and as someone who covers the Mavs. I could not, however, relate to many of the other people in the mix.
How did it feel to be the usher who had to do his or her job kicking out a fan they just greeted with a smile a few minutes prior? How did it feel to be a player who had nothing to do with what the Mavericks front office did, yet still wanted to suit up and put on the best performance he could for a reeling fanbase? I still can’t speak for the usher, but now we have a better sense of the player perspective.
As Washington stated, the players have grown tired of their home floor having a buzz of negativity and simply want the support of their home crowd. Like the fans, the players didn’t necessarily want this either (at least not as far as we know), yet they are still showing up, whether it be in street clothes or uniforms. At what point does the disappointment and hurt we feel for something we love so much, become that which only hurts it even more? I don’t know the answer to that question, but perhaps it’s all time we consider it. Patrick Dumont is not firing Nico Harrison over a trade he himself agreed to. Luka Doncic is not getting traded back before game 82. Regardless, guys who still call themselves Mavericks are going out there trying to make the best of this abysmal season and maybe this is P.J.’s way of rallying Mavs Nation toward some positivity in an otherwise colossal disappointment of a season. Maybe that’s not enough either way. Whatever the case, hopefully his comments give us all another perspective to consider.