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This previous week has been the dried-out cherry on prime of an expired whipped cream sundae of a 2022-23 season for the Dallas Mavericks. They entered it one recreation out of the play-in event a shade beneath two months after buying and selling for Kyrie Irving. It will be simple accountable him for Mavericks’ fall, however the descent was in progress lengthy earlier than his arrival. Dallas’ struggles start on the prime with the group proprietor Mark Cuban who entered the NBA pissing off the institution and bringing the power of youth and alter.
On Wednesday, Cuban gave unplanned media availability to provide his aspect on how contract extension talks with present rising New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson fell via final season. He denied what Brunson told Turner Sports’ Chris Haynes, which was that these within the guard’s camp imagine he would have accepted a 4-year, $55.5 million extension.
He was eligible for a similar provide that Dorian Finney-Smith had signed. In keeping with Brunson, the Mavericks didn’t get again to him. In February, Brunson claimed that the Mavericks have been prepared to increase him that supply, however by then he was recurrently beginning and taking part in nicely.
Cuban advised the media that Brunson was not willing to sign the extension in January, and the primary motive was the involvement of his mother and father.
“We thought, ‘trigger JB stored on telling us he appreciated being right here. JB by no means gave us a sign,” Cuban advised the media. “It was solely the mother and father that have been the difficulty.”
Cuban even went as far as to learn from his telephone to the media what he claims have been textual content messages from Mavericks’ General Manager Nico Harrison and Brunson’s agent Aaron Mintz. Messages that allegedly contained Brunson’s father Rick — at the moment a Knicks assistant coach — wanting his son to signal an $18-$23 million per yr deal. Brunson signed with the Knicks over the summer season for 4 years at $26 million per yr. (New York has a greater document than the Mavs this season.)
The Mavericks had each motive for not desirous to re-sign Brunson in 2022 each within the winter and in the summertime after his spectacular postseason run. Within the earlier postseason, Trey Burke was introduced off of the bench earlier than him within the third quarter of Recreation 7 of the Mavericks’ first-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Brunson didn’t play 16 minutes in both recreation, and was not a daily starter for the Mavericks for a good portion of the 2021-22 season.
Cuban would have been right to be hesitant about how a lot cash was provided to increase Brunson, however he went so low as accountable his mother and father for wanting their youngster to signal one of the best contract attainable. Whatever the 100% fact of what occurred, placing them at fault is a whole abdication of accountability.
All of which is additional proof that the person who made his fortune by getting out of the dot com bubble earlier than it burst isn’t the person to revolutionize sports activities.
Cuban bought a franchise that already had stars — Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and Michael Finley who made his first of two All-Star appearances one month after the acquisition.
Cuban was so radical again then that he doubled down on facilities like Raef LaFrentz, Erik Dampier, DeSagana Diop, and Brendan Haywood. Dampier and Diop have been part of that 67-win group that misplaced to the Golden State Warriors within the first spherical. A lot of Nowitzki’s profession was wasted till the Mavericks caught lightning in a bottle once they swept the Los Angeles Lakers in 2011 and went on to beat the Miami Warmth within the finals.
The Mavs didn’t win one other playoff sequence till final season — largely as a result of Brunson carried them via the primary spherical when Luka Dončić was damage. As nice as this new and thrilling Mavericks tradition has been, it has by no means resulted in a profitable big-name signing, commerce, or a lot successful after 2011.
Cuban’s on-court failures, nevertheless, pale compared to what occurred within the workplace. In 2018, Sports Illustrated reported on the “corrosive” office tradition of the Mavericks. There have been allegations of sexual harassment and assault. (Former group president and CEO Terdema Ussery denied the allegations towards him.)
As SI reported, former Mavs.com beat author Earl Sneed remained employed by the franchise after being arrested on the group facility and charged with assault. Sneed pleaded responsible to misdemeanor costs of household violence assault and interference with emergency request. He allegedly assaulted a feminine worker two years later. (He declined remark to SI after being contacted.)
An internal investigation confirmed that the office tradition within the Mavericks workplace was certainly poisonous. The investigation additionally concluded that Cuban had no information of those incidents, however he did apologize on tv for what befell.
In spring 2022, former coach and common supervisor Donnie Nelson — Cuban’s first head coach — alleged that he was fired for reporting that Cuban’s chief of staff had sexually assaulted his nephew throughout a job interview. Cuban denies those allegations, and the Mavericks launched an announcement that does the identical.
It has been 23 years since Cuban bought the Mavericks. He has actually made NBA basketball much more standard within the Metroplex than ever earlier than. So far as him being a brand new and improved sports activities proprietor although, his observe document within the NBA reveals him to be one other man who is aware of the right way to make a buck.
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