Teenage fan in Luka Lakers jersey gets apology from Mavs owner who ‘feels horrible for the trade’
Sitting next to Dallas Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont at Monday’s game was a physical reminder of what many consider his greatest failure: a Lakers Luka Dončić jersey, worn by an 18-year-old named Nicholas Dickason.
Dickason’s family owns season tickets four rows behind where Dumont sits courtside. In October, Dickason told The Athletic he launched four-letter invectives, along with a finger, in the direction of the Mavericks’ top executive. The blowout 125-92 loss to in-state rival San Antonio was the first opening night in seven years in which perennial MVP candidate Dončić tipped off his season in colors other than Mavericks blue and white. The pain still lingered.
Weeks later, after what he described as personal and parental reflection, Dickason decided an apology was in order. So he approached Dumont as the owner took his seat during the third quarter of Monday’s 116-114 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks — still wearing the Lakers Dončić jersey.
Dumont had apologies of his own.
“Basically, Patrick was like, he feels horrible for the trade and wants to make it up to us,” Dickason told The Athletic in a phone interview. “That’s basically what he said. He accepted my apology for it as well.”
The apology came before the Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison on Tuesday morning.
According to a post by MFFL Nation, a popular Mavericks coverage account that also spoke with Dickason, Dumont expressed further apologies. He said he wants to win back the fans and admitted to making a mistake he is trying to reconcile — that “what he did wasn’t in the best interest of the franchise.”
Dončić was shockingly traded to Los Angeles in a package centered around former All-NBA big man Anthony Davis at the trade deadline last season, just a few months after carrying the franchise to an NBA Finals appearance.
Drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks and traded to Dallas on draft night in 2018 for Trae Young, only two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (14,121) has scored more total points than Dončić (13,138) since he entered the league. He won Rookie of the Year in 2018-19 and followed that campaign by being selected All-NBA First Team five consecutive seasons. He is one of only four players to earn five All-NBA First Team selections in their first six seasons since the ABA-NBA merger.
He led the franchise to two Western Conference finals appearances (2022 and 2024) and was widely viewed as one of, if not the brightest young star in the league — one expected to grace the American Airlines Center for another decade. Then he was traded away at 25 years old, although he had not asked for it.
It bewildered casual NBA fans and stung Dallas fans to their core. Enough for Dickason to express his anguish toward the team’s part-owner — and for Dumont to acknowledge it during their exchange Monday.
Despite selecting top prospect Cooper Flagg No. 1 overall in the 2025 draft, the Mavericks have sputtered to a 3-8 start to the season.
Christian Clark contributed reporting from Dallas.
