Dallas Mavericks Governor Patrick Dumont recently took the stage at a real estate conference in his team’s hometown to discuss the rationale behind dealing superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. His statements not only put his basketball ignorance on full display, but also bring up a larger conversation around a trend of new owners who believe their success in other markets will easily transfer to the NBA.
Patrick Dumont’s Statements on Luka Trade Prove His Ignorance
‘New Owner Syndrome’
On Bill Simmons’ syndicated show The Bill Simmons Podcast, he often mentions a term he coined called “New Owner Syndrome.” This refers to a new owner coming into a relatively stable franchise and making a blockbuster move within the first few months of their tenure. Think Matt Ishbia of the Phoenix Suns or Mikhail Prokhorov, previous owner of the Brooklyn Nets. In both cases, the franchise leaders overpay for an aging, but popular star(s) to reinvigorate the organization. Hindsight proved Ishbia and Prokhorov were in way over their heads. They left their teams top-heavy, destabilized, and without assets to pivot out of a bad move. Patricks Dumont seems to have caught the same bug.
“This was a decision about the future,” said Dumont at the Bank of Texas Speaker Series. “We feel like we position ourselves to be incredibly competitive against the best teams in the NBA.”
These comments come a few weeks after an interview with the Dallas Morning News, where Dumont stated the trade was about “Character” and “Culture.” He went on to explain that past greats such as Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal climbed the mountaintop through sheer hard work and determination.
Analyzing Dumont’s Bizarre Comments
Looking at Dumont’s comments after the Luka trade, I’m reminded of a scene from Adam Sandler’s Billy Madison. Sandler’s character Billy is a caricature of the classic rich kid. He’s never worked—or thought about anything other than “food eat” or “girl pretty”—a day in his life. His father, fed up with Billy’s antics, issues him an ultimatum: Pass all 12 grades in 24 weeks to prove that he’s smart enough and determined enough to take over the family business.
One of his final “tests” is a jeopardy-style game against rival brother Eric. In way over his head, Billy is asked to examine the Industrial Revolution’s effect on English Literature:
The Industrial Revolution to me is just like a story I know called The Puppy Who Lost His Way. The world was changing, and the puppy was getting bigger. So you see, the puppy was like industry in that they were both lost in the woods. And nobody, especially the little boy, “society,” knew where to find them. Except that the puppy was a dog. But the industry, my friends, that was a revolution.
Then, Jim Downey as the High School Principal delivers his iconic response:
Mr. Madison, what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
When I listen to Dumont talk, I can’t help but feel like the High School Principal. How is trading a 25-year-old Doncic for 32-year-old Anthony Davis a “trade for the future”? And then there’s his misguided comments about Shaq and Kobe. They weren’t exactly model citizens. Their time together in LA was notoriously turbulent. If anything, they won in spite of their chemistry rather than because of it.
Patrick Dumont’s statements over the past few weeks reek of a new, rich owner who, like Billy Madison, have been handed success on a silver platter. He and his ilk ride into organizations with a wrecking ball in tow simply because they can. They leave destruction in their wake and expect someone else to clean up the mess, because that’s how it’s always been. At the end of the day, Dumont and his casino moguls will be just fine. Mavs fans and players will suffer the consequences in the end.
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