Luka Dončić torched the Mavericks on Wednesday night in his first return to American Airlines Arena since one of the most shocking trades in NBA history.

Mavericks fans showered Dončić with a standing ovation and praised the former Mavericks superstar as a tribute video played on the big screen.

Unsurprisingly, Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison received a much different reception from the crowd, as “Fire Nico” chants and signs were present for much of the game.

These chants started almost immediately after the game began when Lakers forward Lebron James was fouled on a drive to the basket. Fans screamed “Fire Nico” in unison after less than five seconds of gameplay.

At one point, a group of Mavericks fans could be seen with a neon green “Fire Nico” sign right along the court’s baseline.

The Mavericks were seemingly displeased with the consistent chants for personnel changes, and they displayed the NBA Code of Conduct on the jumbotron early in the second quarter.

 

Coincidentally, this is the same Code of Conduct that the Mavericks claimed was violated earlier in the season following the Dončić trade, in which a fan was ejected for screaming “Fire Nico,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.

Harrison could be seen at various times throughout the game, watching from just outside the Mavericks’ tunnel as fans chanted “Fire Nico” in the background.

While many would expect these chants to end following the Mavericks’ loss, one of the crowd’s loudest “Fire Nico” chants came as Dončić checked out of the game for the last time.

Dončić checked out of the game after leading the Lakers to a 112-97 victory, finishing the game with 45 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

The reaction to Dončić’s return is not surprising, as many Mavericks fans, following the trade, urged the team to hire a new general manager.

As previously reported by The Dallas Express, there have been multiple instances in which “Fire Nico” chants broke out away from the AAC. These chants have broken out at events such as the Lower Greenville St. Patty’s Day Parade and an SMU men’s basketball home game.

This is seemingly the new normal for Mavericks fans.