People Don't Forget: A Mavs Fan Pulled Up On Nico Harrison At A Restaurant Just To Remind Him That Everyone Still Hates His Guts

Justin Ford. Getty Images.

My initial reaction upon seeing that video?

Kind of cringey, definitely a little corny, and somewhat embarrassing.

Look, I get that Nico Harrison is a bozo for the Luka Trade. I get that Mavs fans will probably never forgive him for what he ripped away from them in the middle of the night 6 months ago. I get that there's no excuse for not taking Luka to the market and getting the best possible return, and instead gifting him to the fucking Lakers of all teams. I get how that can make you a bit upset as a fan base to the point where you'll hate that man forever. That's all valid.

But at the same time, I'm also a big-time believer in not being an asshole in life. That's a pretty simple rule that applies to all aspects of life, but for the sake of this blog, it's especially true when it comes to seeing famous people/athletes etc out in the wild. Just be normal. I would say this rule applies even more to situations where that person is just hanging out at a restaurant with their friends/family. Sort of like how weird it was a few years ago when all those people rushed to a restaurant in Toronto just to watch LeBron eat. Very strange behavior in my opinion.

So when I saw that Mavs fan go up to Nico just for the opportunity to tell him how much everyone still hates his fucking guts, it may have been the first time since the Luka Trade that I actually felt bad for him. I mean, when the season is underway and you're in the arena, boo the guy all you want. Chant "FIRE NICO" until your heart's content. That's all part of the gig and comes with the territory.

But going up to him like this when he's just minding his own business and was nice enough to give you the time of day? That's more along the lines of asshole behavior to me, and where it starts to get pretty weird. It's very possible to hate the guy with a passion for what he did to your favorite team and still operate within the rules of society. 

Admittedly, I say that as someone who did not have to experience my favorite team trading away their generational 25-year-old superstar and franchise cornerstone. I can't even fathom how I would feel and then act moving forward if the Celtics traded Jayson Tatum (pre-injury) to the Lakers in the middle of the night. Just thinking about that possibility makes me want to vomit. The closest thing I can think of in my own life would be if I ever saw Rick Pitino out in the world, but even then, I don't think I'd do something like this and that man was basically the Nico Harrison of the 90s era Celtics. 

This isn't to say I support a move like this, it's just saying you have to factor in what that trade has done mentally to Mavs fans everywhere. Not only that, but all those feelings were just brought back to the surface coming off the Micah Parsons trade. That entire city's fanbase is stuck in Sports Hell

I guess my question would be, is something like this even worth it? Sure, some people on the internet might think it's funny and you'll go viral and whatever, but last time I checked, Luka is still a Laker. Do you think Nico doesn't have any idea how Mavs fans feel about him or that he thinks they've gotten over what happened? For sure not. 

Again, feel free boo the guy to the high heavens once October rolls around and the Mavs season starts. Outside of that, don't be weird and do shit like this. If anything, I feel like it has the opposite effect of what that guy probably thought he was doing.