Shaq’s eyebrow-raising claim after Nico Harrison fired
A lot has been said about The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to fire general manager Nick Harrison on Tuesday, and much more can be expected. Legendary NBA big man Shaquille O’Neal is among the notables who have shared their thoughts on the matter, and what he said might turn some heads.
“When you’re in a position of power, sometimes you become what’s known as a scapegoat,” the Hall of Fame basketball player said (via NBA on ESPN). “He did a lot there, but he will always be remembered for replacing Luka Doncic.”
There’s no denying that the trade that sent superstar guard Luka Doncic from the Mavericks to the Los Angeles Lakers in February will always be associated with Harrison’s name — and not for big reasons. Harrison is believed by many to have been the master engineer of that trade, and has always been viewed in a negative light by Mavs fans ever since. At the same time, others also believe that Harrison was probably just taking orders.
Either way, Harrison is no longer a part of the Mavericks organization, and Dallas is now looking to continue moving forward.
With Harrison gone to Dallas, Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi have been named interim general managers of the Mavericks, who are off to a rough start to the 2025-26 NBA regular season.
Entering Wednesday’s home date with Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns, the Mavs, who got Anthony Davis as part of the package since the Doncic trade, they have won just three of eight games, leaving them near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.
2025-11-13 00:02:00
