The Ultimate Snub! ESPN Expert Claims Nico Harrison Gave Luka Doncic’s Tribute to Kyrie Irving
The ACL injury to Kyrie Irving was a devastating moment for the NBA, and more specifically for the Dallas Mavericks.
Against the backdrop of the Luka Doncic trade, the season-ending injury suffered to Kyrie Irving is even more devastating.
The Mavericks’ season may be over from a competitive standpoint. The team have been urged to ‘shut it down’, having lost their star player, and there are mixed views on whether Anthony Davis should be brought back from injury.
It is a lot to take in for all concerned with the team right now, especially with Luka Doncic lighting it up in LA.
Nico Harrison issued statement
While discussions over the short-term future will be taking place behind the scenes, publicly the team are grieving the loss of Kyrie Irving for the season.
Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison issued a statement, in which he described Kyrie Irving as the ‘heart and soul’ of the team.
And while that may be true – it’s a role Luka Doncic fulfilled during his long tenure with the Dallas Mavericks, that was suddenly cut short.
Speaking to ESPN, Bobby Marks believes Nico Harrison’s statement was the type of public admiration he should have been bestowing on Luka Doncic.
Marks said: “That statement that we saw regarding Kyrie Irving, I thought that was going to be the statement that we would have seen when Luka Doncic got traded.
“Everything that that Nico Harrison said, you could have basically pasted.”
Harrison paid tribute to Irving’s work ethic, his energy and passion, and the way he embraced the Dallas community. These are things Doncic feels he should be known for – even if the Mavericks had their doubts.
When Doncic was traded, the Mavericks ended up shading Luka Doncic with a series of leaks and digs at him not fitting into the culture of the team, in an effort to justify their own controversial decision.
This led to plenty of criticism being re-directed at the Mavs, which is the least of their troubles right now after the brutal Irving injury.
Nico Harrison’s statement on Kyrie Irving in full
The statement released by the Dallas Mavericks from Nico Harrison can be read in full.
“There aren’t words to fully describe who Kyrie Irving is to this team or what he means to us as an organization.
“Kyrie is the heart and soul of this team, and he has embraced the city of Dallas as his home and our fans as an extension of his own family.
“I’ve been fortunate to have witnessed his journey, his continued evolution and growth over the years, and am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to see him approach the game of basketball with the same energy and fierce passion for the game that he did as a young man on the verge of his career.
“His work ethic and absolute dedication to his craft, it’s cut from the cloth of greats. I know it, I lived it, and I see the same ferocity and passion in him that I saw in Kobe.
“All my thoughts and that of our staff are with Kyrie and his family, and we are confident that he will come back from this stronger than ever just like he always has.”
