The final image of the Dallas Mavericks‘ 2024–25 season wasn’t a buzzer-beater or a celebratory embrace, it was Anthony Davis limping to the bench after airballing a shot, and a camera cutting directly to Nico Harrison, stone-faced and seemingly shell-shocked.
In that silent, unscripted moment, the weight of one of the most controversial trades in recent NBA history came crashing down for the world to see.
Anthony Davis shot an airball AND GOT HURT
The camera ZOOMED IN on Nico Harrison lmaooo. LOOK AT HIS FACE 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/cPfH3lcLtl
— Hater Report (@HaterReport_) April 19, 2025
The Mavericks’ 120–106 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament sealed a disastrous ending to a season defined by one high-stakes gamble.
When Harrison shipped out Luka Doncic for Davis in February, he called it a move to win now. Instead, Dallas finds itself eliminated early, while Doncic is thriving with the Los Angeles Lakers, a top-three seed in the West.
As Davis limped off with just under eight minutes left in the game, visibly favoring his left leg, the camera panned to Harrison in the stands.
The Mavericks GM, once celebrated for his player-friendly approach and Nike pedigree, now looked like a man staring down the consequences of a catastrophic miscalculation. His tight-lipped expression went viral in seconds, a meme before the final whistle even sounded.
Davis, to his credit, went down swinging. He poured in 40 points on 16-of-29 shooting, grabbed nine rebounds, and battled visibly through pain all night.
He took massage gun breaks on the bench, winced after defensive sequences, yet never begged out. It was a performance that reminded everyone just how dominant Davis can be, when he’s on the floor.
But that’s been the issue all along. Availability has never been his strong suit. And now, with the Mavericks’ season over and Doncic thriving in Los Angeles alongside LeBron James, questions about Harrison’s judgment have only intensified.
Harrison’s decision to trade Doncic was already polarizing. But what makes it worse is the package he accepted. No Austin Reaves. No full haul of Lakers picks.
And his main prize, Anthony Davis hobbled off the floor in their most important game of the season. Even Davis’ 40-piece couldn’t mask the reality that Dallas is no closer to a title than it was a year ago. In fact, they’ve fallen behind.
The fallout is just beginning. Davis deserves sympathy for giving everything he had. But Harrison, who insisted there were “no regrets” during a closed-door media session earlier this week, will have to answer to a franchise now staring at lost revenue, an alienated fanbase, and no clear path forward.
The camera didn’t lie. The moment Davis limped to the bench and Harrison stared silently told us everything: this was a gamble that failed. And the man who made it is running out of time.
