There are certain stories that journalists aspire to cover throughout their careers, and ESPN’s Tim McMahon certainly experienced this when covering the stunning trade of Luka Dončić from the Dallas Mavericks to Los Angeles this month. Having reported on the Mavs for nearly two decades, it’s understandable that McMahon would feel strongly about this deal, and he took that sentiment to a new level on Monday’s edition of The Hoop Collective podcast.
During the podcast, as McMahon discussed the abdominal injury to Anthony Davis (the primary return for Dončić) during his Dallas debut, he reiterated his report on Mavs GM Nico Harrison receiving death threats related to the trade. He informed his audience that the Mavs had increased security at the arena for both Harrison and the team after these threats were reported. Following Davis’ injury, McMahon suggested that the divisive nature of the trade would only escalate further.
Not stopping there, McMahon also responded to the notion that he was merely acting as Harrison’s “mouthpiece.” He targeted independent Mavs reporter Grant Afseth, who had checked in with Dallas Police and found no known threats to Harrison’s life. McMahon did not take kindly to this challenge, labeling Afseth a “wannabe journalist” due to the conflicting information.
“You’re acting like this was any old trade. There was a protest with over a thousand people. Nico Harrison has received death threats,” he emphasized to his cohosts. Furthermore, he reaffirmed his reporting, saying, “Let me double down on that reporting. I’ve been criticized because the Dallas Police Department told some wannabe journalist that ‘There’s no known threats to us.’ That doesn’t mean they didn’t happen. The Mavs have security that’s been at the highest levels of American law enforcement. The threats weren’t seen as serious enough to be reported to the police, but I guarantee you, I’ve heard from multiple sources that he’s received death threats.”
Afseth, who covers the Mavs through his personal Substack website, later responded on Monday, acknowledging that he and McMahon were essentially reporting the same facts but added that he did not think it was fair to give the fanbase or Dallas an undeserving reputation on global TV. He expressed this sentiment on X.
As the situation unfolded, fans took to social media to criticize McMahon, arguing that he was presenting the company’s narrative to garner sympathy for Harrison. However, it’s worth noting that he wasn’t alone in reporting concerns over the safety of players and executives in Dallas; TNT’s Allie LaForce similarly reported concerns during the network’s NBA broadcast following the trade deadline.
Awful Announcing reached out to McMahon for comment after the podcast’s release and Afseth’s response. McMahon replied via direct message on X, stating, “I stand by what I said on the pod about my reporting being accurate.”
