The Chosen Ones: An oral history of LeBron James’ only loss to an Ohio team in his legendary high school career

The Dallas Mavericks are embarking on a critical season after missing the playoffs and play-in altogether last season. The decision from the Mavericks to demote longtime athletic trainer Casey Smith has created an extra layer of uncertainty to their situation.

“There’s weird stuff going on with the Mavericks as far as not involving the roster, [but] involving the organization,” said Tim MacMahon on Friday’s Hoop Collective Podcast. “This banishment of Casey Smith, who is probably the most respected athletic trainer in the NBA. [He] was overseeing that whole group, basically their whole medical group. He wan an essential part of the front office. Put it this way, when the Mavericks sent a contingent to Slovenia for Luka’s supermax press conference, Casey Smith was there. He’s been on the bench for 20 years. He’s not going to be on the bench this year. He’s not going to be a traveler. It is not his decision.

“There’s a lot of people… There’s a combination of people being pissed and people being concerned with the Mavericks’ organization about that.

“I’m not going to get into why that decision was made because I honestly haven’t gotten a straight answer. I’ve gotten a lot of second hand answers. And I’ve gotten two kind of different second hand answers, neither of which are great.

“And then you also have Scott Tomlin who has been there forever. By the way, Casey Smith and Scott Tomlin are like Dirk’s best friends. Scott Tomlin, longtime PR guy, is actually going to work for Dirk. He’s going to be the executive director of Dirk’s foundation. Leaving right after they get home from this trip. A decision made in the wake of Casey Smith’s reassignment. I don’t think that decision is made, especially with this timing, if everything is hunky dory I’ll put it to you like that.

“There’s a lot of weirdness going on with this organization right now.”