http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2506302 Dirk Nowitzki has all but acknowledged that Mark Cuban's antics are a distraction to the Dallas Mavericks, saying that the team's owner must "learn to control himself as well as the players do." Nowitzki In a stories posted Friday night on the Web sites of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and The Dallas Morning News, Nowitzki was quoted as saying, "We can't lose our temper all the time on the court or off the court, and I think he's got to learn that, too. He's got to improve in that area and not yell at the officials the whole game." The newspapers also reported that Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash had asked Cuban in the past about watching games from a suite, rather than from his usual seat near the Mavericks' bench. "The game starts and he's already yelling at [the officials]," Nowitzki was quoted as saying. "He needs to learn how to control himself a little better. If somebody's in your ear constantly. ... I'd be [ticked] off if I were an official." Cuban was fined $250,000 for his outbursts about the officiating during Game 5 of the NBA Finals, and commissioner David Stern said he was tired of off-court antics drawing attention from the series. Cuban has been fined at least $1.65 million since buying the team in January 2000. The exact total of his punishment tab isn't known because the league doesn't always publicize action against team owners. Cuban has said he matches every dollar he is fined with a charitable donation.
Practice what you preach. <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ysAH1c8nMrA"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ysAH1c8nMrA" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>
LEBRON CONTRACT EXTENSION http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2506087 sorry i cant make a thread
Wow! Given how crappy he played in the finals and how he lost control at the end of Game 5 in Miami and was kicking stuff all over the place, I would say he's in no place to criticize. This would have more weight if it came from a guy like Stackhouse or someone else. Dirk and Cuban: a match made in heaven...
He did, he said "as well as the players do." I'm definitely with Dirk on this one- I remember working in a restaurant during my college days as a shift leader, and my manager was a great guy. We and the employees figured out what worked and what didn't, and we always had great customer responses, repeat business, etc. Then, some executive-level person would come in for their bi-annual visit and proceed to screw everything up. They never did it for the best interests of the place, but usually so they could say that they "made a change." To me, that's exactly what Cuban is all about. If I were a player, I'd feel the same- let Avery, Del, and the other coaches manage the interactions with the officials. Shut up, Cuban!
Well, you have to realize that Dirk's outburst was one incident and that Cuban makes a career out of this. I think Dirk has every right to say this. And hey, if he pisses off Cuban enough to force a trade, then all the better!
Big difference between kicking a bike on the way to the locker after a loss and having the owner of the team scream at the refs all game and run on the court like a crazed Piston fan.
I think he is 100% right. The Mavs definitely were effected by the outbursts and the players starting freaking out about everything as well. It is contagious and he needs to not start it anymore.
So instead you post it in a thread that has absolutely nothing to do with it? Keep it up, I'm guessing you'll be a Rookie for a long time.
The whole team is modelled after Cuban's personality-- unstable individualists who blame their failures on officiating and then throw tantrums when things dont go their way. Which is why they will always hit high highs and low lows-- though I doubt they will have the consistency of he Spurs who have a much more stable and controlled personality.
I do hear what Dirk is saying, but it's also Cuban's team and I don't think there is an owner that does more to make sure his players have the best facilities around them and does more to make sure his team is ready to play.
I disagree, I think there are a lot of owners that do a lot for their players and want to win... its just that Cuban is the most outspoken against the league.
Mark Cuban being in the huddle with the players during timeouts is the most annoying thing in the NBA right behind Raja Bell's acting job.
Cuban seems to be willing to spend every penny/dollar needed to have his players taken care of. Even the little things like having the lcd tvs in everyone's locker to making sure players don't have to worry about getting tix for their family to having a giant staff of assistants.
Supposedly the visiting team facilities are better than some home teams facilities. I imagine playing for Cuban is a mixed blessing he takes great care of the players but at the same time his ego and the attention he draws detracts from the work the players are doing. I would imagine its sort of like working for Apple Computer in the 80's under the height of the Steve Jobs era. The bottom line though is that the Mavs have proven to be consistent winners under Cuban and have gone to their first NBA Finals appearance. Cuban's distractions aside his management style has produced results.
