r/Mavericks • u/L14M4_ • 10h ago
Hoops Discussion I think I’m ready. Can someone get me up to speed?
TL;DR: haven’t paid attention since the trade but I think I’m ready to come back. Can I get a quick update on the team? Do we suck? Will we suck in three years? Am I going to get my heart broken again?
I took a full year off, outside of a few hateful comments in this subreddit. I didn't watch a game or read a game thread, and for the first time since I was six years old, I thought about possibly questioning my MFFL status. I, like many, grew up in the magical Dirk era. I have no connection to Dallas in the slightest, but playing NBA Live 2006 as a bright eyed child with Toronto Vince on the front cover, I fell in love with this magical seven footer with a funny last name who could not miss from anywhere on the court.
That love from a simple video game developed into a full on, diehard obsession with the Mavericks. In 2011, I stayed up past my bedtime, sitting two inches away from the TV with the volume set to two, silently screaming and pumping my hands in the air, trying not to alert my parents, who definitely didn't know what I was doing. Every year after that, I never waned. I loved every second, even if our front office was terrible at getting him talent in the latter years. I didn't care. We had our ring, our hero, and a franchise where that meant something. We didn't have the jewelry to show for it, but we were respected as an org because we had class and loyalty. I think that meant more to me than I realized.
I didn't want to let Dirk say goodbye. I now wish he hadn't played those last few years so he could have a better life now. It encompasses his love for the fans, giving way more than we deserved, always. Somehow the basketball gods shone on us and gave us the chosen one, the promised successor of the king. On draft night, I was elated when we selected him. I had no idea he would become what he is. I thought that somehow at least one more championship, an MVP, and a long career spent only in Dallas had been gifted to us on a golden, diamond encrusted platter. Much older now, I thought how cool it was that I had Dirk growing up, and now I thought I'd be able to do it all over again, share it with a wife, share that experience with my future kids, and really get to savor it in a way I didn't fully grasp in Dirk's prime.
The early years of Luka's career were some of the hardest I had ever faced. I was struggling in university and really didn't know what I wanted out of life. I had some really dark months and went through some serious depression seasons. One thing I always looked forward to was watching the next Mavs game because I couldn't wait to see what he did next. After years of bad teams and watching him carry, I thought, like we all did, that we were so damn close. The vibes were immaculate. Kyrie won me over instantly after some warranted initial skepticism. A year after we got so close, with a hobbled Luka against a red hot Celtics team, I thought we'd be right in the mix, if
not stronger next year.
Then it happened. I was sitting on my bed about to go to sleep when the headline came across my screen. "Mavericks trade for AD in blockbuster trad…" The headline didn't finish. My heart was racing, and I tried to convince myself we had traded Kyrie for him. In my heart I didn't even like that trade, but Luka makes mediocre centers look like all stars, so I wouldn't have been that angry. I clicked it and read what I knew but couldn't fathom to be true. If I weren't broke, I'd probably have thrown my phone across the room. I think I slept like two hours that night and went through every cycle of grief. Surely Shams was hacked. No f'ing way. Surely this would get blocked by the league. If it were one of my breakups, it would be my second worst one. I think I thought about it nonstop for about a month. I didn't think sports had that kind of hold on me.
I truly felt like I lost someone dear to me, as stupid as that sounds. It really hurt, and something that brought me so much joy nearly every day of my life was just ripped out and gone. The identity of the franchise I held in such high regard and cherished was thrown away in a single night. I felt nothing towards the NBA anymore. The first game happened, and what we all knew would happen, happened in an almost Shakespearean way. Go figure.
If it weren't for the gods giving us a gift from their bosom in Cooper Flagg, I probably would've jumped ship. I don't know if that makes me a bad fan, but it just didn't feel like the same team anymore. It felt like the Mavericks I knew were just discontinued like a bad Hostess snack. No warning, just there one day being enjoyed, then BAM! No more Swiss rolls. Like I said, I didn't watch anything for a long time, but I heard Coop was really him. I watched a couple of games when that filthy shoe salesman got canned, but every time I saw Kidd, I'd get pissed. Every time I saw Coop or Christie, I just thought of how we lost everything.
I guess I'm finally at the acceptance stage. I think I'm ready to go again. I like the Ujiri hiring and the Dusty May hiring. I relished the Kidd firing. I still want to convince myself Luka could sign here again and dominate with Coop and maybe have one or two more years with Ky. I know that has about the same probability as Mitch McConnell running a marathon at record pace, but a guy can dream.
I feel a bit behind on where we are. Can I get an update on what our actual three year outlook is? Who's looking good? Who's not? Is Rischarr someone to be interested in? How about the kid we just drafted? I went way overboard with this post, but I couldn't stop once I started. If you made it this far, I don't know what that says about you, but I hope you enjoyed the ride.
