Even if Cuban’s no longer calling the shots — or hearing about them ahead of time — the Mavs remain close to his heart.

But Dallas's stunning about-face with its franchise player may have hit those closest to home harder than anyone. Mavericks fans, shocked and hurt by the trade, came out in droves to protest the deal outside of American Airlines Arena before Sunday's hockey game between the Dallas Stars and Columbus Blue Jackets.

Around the NBA, the team’s issues with Luka Doncic’s on and off-the-court habits were known, and Mavs head coach Jason Kidd had shared the concerns with Doncic directly, as well as publicly.