Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington was relieved to be back in action following an ankle injury, but one thing he wasn’t happy about was the persistent “Fire Nico” chants directed at the team’s general manager, Nico Harrison.
Washington made his frustration clear both during the game and in his postgame comments.
While at the free-throw line, Washington couldn’t hold back his irritation, yelling “Shut yo ass up!” at a fan who was chanting for Harrison’s dismissal.
After the game, he doubled down, expressing his frustration with the negativity surrounding the team.
“At the end of the day, the trades happened,” Washington said, referring to the Mavericks’ roster moves ahead of the trade deadline.
“We understand we have a new team now. All that ‘Fire Nico’ stuff, we’re sick and tired of hearing it. We just want to go out there and play, and we need the fans to support us no matter who’s on the floor. That’s just how I feel about it.”
Washington wasn’t the only Mavericks player addressing the controversy. Wing Max Christie also weighed in, emphasizing that as professionals, players must stay focused regardless of outside noise.
“We’re professionals, and our job is to come out here and perform regardless of the circumstances that we’re in,” Christie said. “We get paid a lot of money just to play basketball. For us, we have little things like that that may be distracting and whatnot. It shouldn’t affect us.
“We’re professionals. We’re the best at what we do in this sport. Distractions are going to be there, and we have to be able to move forward and move past them and not let it affect us.”
Despite the players’ frustration, the ongoing chants reflect some fans’ dissatisfaction with the team’s front-office decisions.
However, Washington and his teammates are making it clear – they want to focus on basketball, not front-office debates.
PJ Washington Wants 'Fire Nico' Chants To End https://t.co/FSdbAP2NzA
— RealGM (@RealGM) March 17, 2025
