Moving on after a break-up is tough—especially when the break-up was your idea, and the entire city of Dallas is mad at you about it.
For now, the Dallas Mavericks are doing their best to move forward into a new era. After trading superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis and other pieces, the Mavericks are looking to reshape their identity on the fly and make a run at a title this year.
Fans, to say the least, are struggling with the decision to trade the face of their franchise, with protests outside and inside the stadium calling for the firing of general manager Nico Harrison.
While Kyrie Irving has asked for grace, it’s not hard to understand why Mavs fans are frustrated. According to ESPN’s Tim Legler, they might stay frustrated for some time. Appearing as a guest onThe Ryen Russillo Podcast, Legler said he wasn’t sure that even a championship ring would solve the issues in Dallas.`
“I think this is something that they might never get over,” Legler said of the trade. “Would it even matter to Dallas fans if the Mavericks won [a title] this year? Or next year? Or the third year of this Anthony Davis-Kyrie pairing?
“He’s one of the greatest offensive talents to ever come into this league. He’s already been to a conference final and NBA Finals by the age of 24. Go look at the history of the league at the guys at the top of the food chain that have done that, they are all-time great players.”
“I’m still not sure it completely heals the wound of losing what was a generational player for a generation of fans,” Legler said. “They’re going to have to live with that for maybe the next decade watching whatever success in a Lakers uniform.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ESPN Analyst Says Even an NBA Title Might Not Be Enough for Mavs Fans Post Luka Trade.
