Tim MacMahon
speaker
74 appearances
1 recordings
1 series
first heard Mar 2025
last heard Mar 2025
Tim MacMahon’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
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Appearances
Howdy, partner. I appreciate you having me. Neutral Corner, I don't know. I think I'm more of the instigator. I enjoy when those guys spar a little bit, and frankly, Bontemps is an inviting punching bag.
So honestly, and look, like obviously the conditioning has always been a thing, a concern with Luke, even back before the draft. But in terms of the disconnect with the Mavericks organization, I think a massive thing that happened that was under the radar at the time. And I'm going to say this and people will be like, really?
But when they fired Casey Smith, who was one of the most respected people entirely in the athletic training field, he was the Mavericks head athletic trainer for years and years and years, oversaw that group, the health and performance group, as part of the front office. He was a critical player.
critical part of the culture of the Mavericks of the fabric of the Mavericks was there for 20 years is one of Dirk Nowitzki's best friends was tight with Jason Kidd. He's now working for the New York Knicks. Not a coincidence. Jalen Brunson loved him. So did Luca. And that happened in August, 2023.
And I reported at a time he was reassigned to, you know, sit at home and twiddle his thumbs for the final year of his contract. Um, I reported it then, but didn't really dive into it because I was like, OK, let's I think this is going to be a big thing. Let's see. It's going to be part of a bigger story to see how it develops. Well, and then they went to the finals. Right.
So it's like, well, you know, I guess it didn't have major media ramifications. Then Nico also fired. Their longtime strength coach, Jeremy Holzapfel, their longtime manual therapist, massage therapist, Casey Spangler. Again, all people who predated Luca in Dallas, all people who had great relationships with Luca in Dallas, all people who were part of him making this massive cultural transition.
from Europe as a teenager to not just America and Dallas, but to the NBA, all inner circle people for him who he liked, but more importantly, he respected, he trusted. And then Nico brought in people who were referred to around the Mavericks as Nico's guys. And Luka didn't know them, didn't particularly like them, didn't trust them. Now, Luka does have his own body team, which started last year.
But just the working, and that's not unusual, right? You know that. Like for a superstar to have his own guys, whether it's a massage therapist, strength coach, physical therapist, whatever. A lot of these superstars have these body teams. Often, they're good working relationships with the teams, with the franchise. That wasn't the case this year. And that was part of the lead up to this trade.
And then, obviously, the fourth calf strain in a 28-month span. Nico certainly was frustrated, feeling like, hey, you're not taking care of your body. You're not putting in the work. You're not doing the preparation. This is kind of what happens.
You know, Luca's side would say, well, we rushed back from the calf strain and training camp that, by the way, you reported as a contusion to get ready and then rushed back from a heel bruise just before Christmas was playing on our tippy toes or on his tippy toes. And yeah, stuff happens. It's unfortunate.
Whatever side you want to take, this all leads to just Nico being so frustrated, feeling like we can't invest in this guy, can't invest in this Supermax deal, and trading him while he really only got one bid. I mean, not... Didn't, yeah, like flat out only got one bid. So you gave up on this generational talent who was at the time 25, about to turn 26.
And people I've talked to around the league, there's two camps. One, you just can't give up on that kind of a talent unless you've got the proverbial gun to your head, you have to trade them, which was not the case here. Two, there are people who say, you know what, I get wanting to get out of the Luca business because of these concerns, but you have to maximize the return.
And I have not talked to a single person outside of the Mavericks organization who feels like Dallas did that.
It's certainly the standard for Nico, right? And Nico had relationships with a lot of guys over the years at Nike, none like he did with Kobe. I mean, he worked his way up the ranks at Nike in large part by being Kobe's guy and then working up from there.
And like, look, when Kyrie tore his ACL about a month after the trade, Nico puts out a statement and he references Kobe in the statement talking about, you know, I've... praising Kyrie's work ethic, but bringing up Kobe as the comparison. And Nico said, you know, I've lived it. So yes, there is this relationship that Nico had with Kobe. Basically, that's his vision of the superstar.
That's his vision of a face of the franchise. That's his standard high standard for work ethic. And, you know, listen, Luca doesn't fit into that mold. Like Luca does enjoy to have a post-game brew ski or two ski or six ski, you know, like Luca. I mean, you know, the man is going to eat steak and potatoes and the weight fluctuates and, you know, all these kind of things.
He's a five-time first-team All-NBA selection who's yet to hit his prime years. He averaged 34-10-9, led the league in scoring, led the Mavs to the finals, while, by the way, playing the most minutes over the regular season and playoffs of anybody in the NBA. And, you know, honestly, he had Kobe's stamp of approval.
You know, I mean, sadly, the last NBA game that Kobe attended was courtside at, you know, Staples Center then. And yes, that's the scene where he's famously started talking some trash and still be anyone. Luke was about to inbound the ball. Luca turns around and it's Kobe. you know, with his daughter, with Gigi. And Gigi's favorite player was Luka Doncic.
Kobe brought his daughter to the game to see Luka. You know, Kobe and Luka had a moment after the game. And I mean, Kobe loved the kid's game. Now, look, obviously he wasn't with him on a day-to-day basis, evaluating the work ethic. But again, Luka's not the first superstar who's, you know...
had a little bit, you know, had a healthy appetite and who, you know, maybe didn't enjoy the rigorous mundane preparation details and who would have an adult beverage or three or four. So, The production, to me, that kind of production gives a guy a lot of leeway. But again, Mikko's bet is that the body's going to break down in his prime.
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