Michael Finley’s stolen beer was allegedly returned to Luka Dončić

Back in February, it seemed like every piece of damning evidence pointed to the inevitability The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to waive Luka Doncic came out on social networks. One of them was a video of Michael Finley, now the Mavs’ interim general manager after the firing of Nick Harrison, snatching a beer can Doncic was holding during their celebration of their triumph over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2024 Western Conference Finals.

This led many to believe that Finley was among those in the Mavericks organization who believed that Doncic’s habits were not the healthiest and that if he continued like this, he could be prone to more injuries in the future.

But according to NBA insider Marc Stein, Finley was a supporter Doncic within the organization — even one of those who “strongestly opposed Doncic’s deal at the time it was presented.”

In fact, that viral video where FInlei, who stole Dončić’s beer, allegedly does not speak the whole story. According to Stein, the drink was allegedly returned to Doncic when he was no longer in public during their celebration in Minneapolis.

The reasoning behind Finley’s decision to grab the can of beer from Doncic’s hands was that the Mavericks organization simply believed it would be best for their superstar to conduct interviews and face the media without an alcoholic beverage in his fingers.

Still, it’s still ridiculous to think that the Mavericks believed Doncic needed to overhaul his entire habit system, and when he didn’t, it led to his departure. Because that Doncic trade remains the craziest decision in the history of professional sports, and maybe not even close.

Was the Mavericks’ decision to trade Luka Doncic a Nick Harrison crusade?

It’s hard to believe that the Mavericks would trade Doncic just because of Harrison’s whims. He is not the only CEO with decision-making authority in that organization, so the ownership group that green-lighted the deal must also share a significant part of the blame.

The Doncic trade remains an unmitigated disaster, and the Mavs general manager will need a lot of guts and luck as he tries to clean up the mess his predecessor made.