Key Highlights:
Charles Barkley is not happy with Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison’s recent press conference, addressing several things, including the intense criticism following the Luka Doncic trade that sparked the “Fire Nico” movement among fans. In a recent episode of Inside the NBA, Chuck, alongside Shaquille O'Neal , condemned Harrison for rubbing his own wounds to restart the debate again. The NBA legends called out Harrison to shut up and do his job rather than appearing in press conferences.
Charles Barkley questions Nico Harrison for his recent press conference
Charles Barkley, with his typical fashion of calling out what he does not like in the NBA, recently addressed Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison’s stunt. Following a storm of criticism and growing fan outrage over the controversial trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Barkley took to the NBA on TNT set to offer some blunt but seemingly well-meaning advice. It was quite simple as Chuck urged Harrison to stop talking to the media.
“I consider you a friend of mine, Nico Harrison,” Barkley said candidly. “I wish you nothing but the best. I thought you did a good job last year with the Mavs. And obviously whatever happened this year, didn’t work out. Man, don’t do no more press conferences. I don’t even know what you’re doing. I really don’t... I have zero idea what you’re trying to do. This war is over brother. You’ve taken the ‘L’, I hope you keep your job, I hope that team gets healthy, but man, don’t do any more interviews. Please don’t.”
Shaquille O'Neal nodded the same as the NBA legend and Hall of Famer asked the Mavericks GM to focus on his job.
This message came on the heels of Harrison’s latest press conference. One was held behind closed doors at the American Airlines Center, and the other was open to local media at the Mavericks' practice facility. Harrison’s comments seemed to extend the public relations crisis that’s gripped the franchise since the Doncic deal.
Ever since news broke in February that Doncic was being traded, shockingly, less than a year after leading Dallas to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2011, Mavericks fans have been fuming. While the initial buzz surrounding the trade, especially Anthony Davis' debut, sparked some short-lived optimism, the mood quickly soured. Fans’ frustration has reached a boiling point, with chants of "Fire Nico" echoing through the American Airlines Center during Doncic’s emotional return.
In Monday’s press conference, Harrison attempted to justify the move. "I did know that Luka was important to the fan base. I didn’t quite know it to what level," he admitted. He explained the decision by pointing to the potential lineup of Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively, calling it “a championship caliber team.”
“My job is to make decisions that are in the best interest of this organization, and I got to stand by the decision,” Harrison said. “Some of them are going to be unpopular, and this was clearly one that's unpopular.”
Publicly supported by Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont, Harrison acknowledged the weight of that endorsement. “He came out and supported me publicly. I don’t take that lightly and now I have to deliver on that.”
“I think I’ve done a really good job here and I don’t think I can be judged by the injuries this year,” Harrison added. “You have to judge from totality, from beginning to end... The leadership that we have is really elite, and you’ll see when our team comes back next year that we’ll be competing for a championship.”
Also Read: NBA Playoff bracket through April 20– Everything you need to know ahead of game 2
As for Barkley and the Inside the NBA crew, Harrison’s move was not smooth, and he should stop talking to the media immediately.
- Charles Barkley slams Nico Harrison for reigniting controversy with his press conference instead of focusing on fixing the Mavericks.
- The Inside the NBA crew calls out Harrison for worsening the Mavericks' PR nightmare rather than letting the season’s chaos settle.
- With fan outrage growing over the Luka Doncic trade , Barkley and Shaq criticize Harrison for speaking publicly instead of leading behind the scenes.
Charles Barkley is not happy with Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison’s recent press conference, addressing several things, including the intense criticism following the Luka Doncic trade that sparked the “Fire Nico” movement among fans. In a recent episode of Inside the NBA, Chuck, alongside Shaquille O'Neal , condemned Harrison for rubbing his own wounds to restart the debate again. The NBA legends called out Harrison to shut up and do his job rather than appearing in press conferences.
Charles Barkley questions Nico Harrison for his recent press conference
Charles Barkley, with his typical fashion of calling out what he does not like in the NBA, recently addressed Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison’s stunt. Following a storm of criticism and growing fan outrage over the controversial trade of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, Barkley took to the NBA on TNT set to offer some blunt but seemingly well-meaning advice. It was quite simple as Chuck urged Harrison to stop talking to the media.
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— CyrusTheVirus (@CyrusTheVirusP) April 21, 2025
“I consider you a friend of mine, Nico Harrison,” Barkley said candidly. “I wish you nothing but the best. I thought you did a good job last year with the Mavs. And obviously whatever happened this year, didn’t work out. Man, don’t do no more press conferences. I don’t even know what you’re doing. I really don’t... I have zero idea what you’re trying to do. This war is over brother. You’ve taken the ‘L’, I hope you keep your job, I hope that team gets healthy, but man, don’t do any more interviews. Please don’t.”
Shaquille O'Neal nodded the same as the NBA legend and Hall of Famer asked the Mavericks GM to focus on his job.
This message came on the heels of Harrison’s latest press conference. One was held behind closed doors at the American Airlines Center, and the other was open to local media at the Mavericks' practice facility. Harrison’s comments seemed to extend the public relations crisis that’s gripped the franchise since the Doncic deal.
Ever since news broke in February that Doncic was being traded, shockingly, less than a year after leading Dallas to its first NBA Finals appearance since 2011, Mavericks fans have been fuming. While the initial buzz surrounding the trade, especially Anthony Davis' debut, sparked some short-lived optimism, the mood quickly soured. Fans’ frustration has reached a boiling point, with chants of "Fire Nico" echoing through the American Airlines Center during Doncic’s emotional return.
In Monday’s press conference, Harrison attempted to justify the move. "I did know that Luka was important to the fan base. I didn’t quite know it to what level," he admitted. He explained the decision by pointing to the potential lineup of Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Anthony Davis, and Dereck Lively, calling it “a championship caliber team.”
“My job is to make decisions that are in the best interest of this organization, and I got to stand by the decision,” Harrison said. “Some of them are going to be unpopular, and this was clearly one that's unpopular.”
Publicly supported by Mavericks owner Patrick Dumont, Harrison acknowledged the weight of that endorsement. “He came out and supported me publicly. I don’t take that lightly and now I have to deliver on that.”
“I think I’ve done a really good job here and I don’t think I can be judged by the injuries this year,” Harrison added. “You have to judge from totality, from beginning to end... The leadership that we have is really elite, and you’ll see when our team comes back next year that we’ll be competing for a championship.”
Also Read: NBA Playoff bracket through April 20– Everything you need to know ahead of game 2
As for Barkley and the Inside the NBA crew, Harrison’s move was not smooth, and he should stop talking to the media immediately.
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