Less than one year after the Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the man allegedly responsible for the trade, Nico Harrison, has been fired. After months of backlash and fan outrage, as fans consistently chanted "Fire Nico" on a nightly basis, the Mavs decided it was time to wipe their hands clean and move on. My biggest takeaway from this firing, as someone who covers the Pelicans, is that if Mavs fans were able to get Harrison fired from speaking out, Pelicans fans can do the same if they really want Willie Green gone.
Through the team's first 10 games, there’s been a theme following every win or loss that fans want Willie Green out as head coach. Green is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Pelicans, and fans are still seeing the same things they’ve been frustrated about for years.
The complaints have become consistent — poor rotations, horrendous in-game adjustments, bad ATOs, third-quarter collapses, and a lack of accountability in post-game press conferences. Perhaps the most troubling of all, the team still lacks a clear identity.
Now, I’m obviously not saying I want to see a man get fired, but if fans want the front office and ownership to make a change at head coach, it’s time to consider following the path Mavs fans took.
What do fans need to do to force this change?
At the height of the Nico Harrison drama, fans were holding up signs with Fire Nico written on them. Some fans even went as far as cancelling their season tickets, holding rallies outside the arena, and taking to social media to air their frustration.
The outrage from Pelicans fans is already turned up pretty high across social media, but I think it's time to take things up to DEFCON ONE. If you are truly sick and tired of getting home from a long day of work, school, or just life, and going to watch your favorite team play to see them get blown out by 30, and hear the head coach call the loss a "lesson". Then taking to Instagram or X isn't enough anymore...it may be time to start "Fire Willie Green" chants, canceling your season tickets, and protesting outside the Smoothie King Center.
The Mavericks' firing of Nico Harrison is proof that if enough fans unite and speak out publicly, change can happen.
In an era when it seems that all organizations care about is money, the Mavericks' decision to fire Nico Harrison shows that when enough fans express their opinions, change can occur. If Pelicans fans genuinely want the Willie Green era to come to an end, speaking out against ownership's commitment to mediocrity is one way to do that.