Rick Carlisle stepped down as the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks last week. He spent 13 seasons at the helm of the franchise, and so his abrupt decision to leave with time remaining on his contract caught a lot of people off guard.
Immediately, various stories began to emerge from the woodwork.
The one that got the most play involved Mavs star Luka Doncic publicly mocking and taunting him during a game.
So did Carlisle really step down because of Doncic?
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the real reason was far less salacious.
“With Donnie Nelson out, Carlisle lost one of his guys in the front office, leaving him to consider a future where he may have to work hand in hand with ‘shadow GM’ Bob Voulgaris,” Amick said.
“It sounds like the relationship between Voulgaris and Carlisle had already gotten a little ridiculous by NBA standards. Amick reports that Voulgaris was behind the decision to start Boban Marjanovic in the Playoffs, in what sounds like a ‘you better start Boban or else’ type of situation. Rick Carlisle is not the type of coach who is going to put up with that sh**.”
The Bucks owner’s daughter decided to bring 2021 in with a bang by stripping all her clothes off. https://t.co/UgzhEEna4o
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 7, 2021
Doncic, for what it’s worth, doesn’t seem especially happy about the Mavericks’ most recent moves. That coupled with the fact that it’s widely accepted he absolutely hates one of his teammates has led many to speculate whether he may end up with the New York Knicks sooner rather than later.
Over the past couple of weeks a massive trade between the Mavericks and Washington Wizards has been the subject of much speculation. If it occurs, then Doncic will obviously remain in Dallas and Carlisle will look like a fool for leaving.
If that deal doesn’t go down, however – expect for this Mavericks situation to get a lot worse before it gets better.
Related: 76ers’ Trade Plan For Ben Simmons
