"Can you blame them" - Fans react to Mavericks fanbase being ranked as most negative

Fans reacted to the Dallas Mavericks fanbase being ranked the most negative among 30 NBA teams. According to a post by NBA Central, published on X Friday, the Mavs fanbase was ranked as more negative than teams like the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and LA Lakers. The study was done by VegasInsider.com.

According to WFAA's Paul Livengood, the study was done by going through 1.3 million comments posted by NBA fans during the 2024-25 NBA season. The ranking was then done by analyzing the "percentage of vulgar language, the percentage of positive and negative sentiments, and top-used swear words."

The post attracted reactions from fans, including fans siding with the Mavs' fanbase sentiment. Some fans sympathized with the Mavericks fans and blamed the team for pulling a bad trade that sent Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers.

"Can you blame them? That Luka trade was a terrible idea and they didn’t even try to have a bidding war," a fan wrote.

Aidan LaPorta

@@AidanLaPorta69

Can you blame them? That Luka trade was a terrible idea and they didn’t even try to have a bidding war

"You would too if you rooted for a team that did what they did to their fans."

Robbie Bangers

@@RobertSportsBet

You would too if you rooted for a team that did what they did to their fans

A fan sided with the Mavs fanbase and slammed the front office for pulling a bad Luka Doncic trade.

"I’d be negative to if they traded a 25 year old franchise icon for 25 cents on the dollar."

Hooping News Updates

@@HoopingNews1540

I’d be negative to if they traded a 25 year old franchise icon for 25 cents on the dollar

A fan hilariously posted a viral picture of Nico Harrison and blamed him for causing negativity among the fans.

A fan termed the Dallas fanbase's behavior "ungrateful."

"Why are they mad? they got the #1 pick. just ungrateful."

🌩️

@@twowayshai

why are they mad? they got the #1 pick. just ungrateful

A user targeted Luka Doncic's fans for their loyalty to the Slovenian superstar.

"What a shocker it feels like every Luka fan hates everyone except Luka."

KlawWrld

@@kawhi_ring

What a shocker it feels like every Luka fan hates everyone except Luka

A fan roasted the Washington Wizards fanbase for being happy despite the team having failed to achieve much since the 1980s.

"Man how is Washington at 29. Those fans just happy to be here 😂."

nick grantham

@@nickgrantham4L

Man how is Washington at 29. Those fans just happy to be here 😂

Mavericks CEO Rick Welts drops "fresh start" message after landing No. 1 pick

Most of the NBA fans, analysts and even NBA players thought that the Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis was fake news. After Shams Charania confirmed that the news wasn't fake, it felt like a disaster had hit the Mavs fanbase.

It has been a nightmare for the Mavericks' front office since then. From fans demanding Nico Harrison's resignation to reports of death threats against him, the backlash never slowed down until the team hit the jackpot and won the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.

After months, the Mavericks' CEO, Rick Welts, is hoping for a "fresh start," with the potential to land Cooper Flagg.

"The fun starts now," Welts said per AP. "Honestly, there hasn’t been a lot of fun around the Mavericks for the past three months...Everyone, including Patrick, has been through a lot the past three months. This is just such a moment of exhilaration, a breath of fresh air for the franchise. You really feel like you got a fresh start."

However, can Cooper Flagg fill the void in Mavs fans' hearts that Luka Docic's trade created? It remains a mystery, and only time will tell.