You could make the argument that, over the last few years, no one has been as harshly critical of the NBA's officiating than Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. The man has accumulated fines totaling well over $1 million for telling the whole world how incompetent NBA refs are.You'd think that he would take yesterday's bombshell as an opportunity to remind everyone just how right he was all along. Nope. The guy instead chose to take the high road.
[Expletive] happens. Bad [Expletive] happens. When it does, there are two options. Cry over it and do nothing or recognize the problem and do the best you possibly can to not only fix it, but make the entire organization stronger..Never thought I'd see the day.
Calamity can be a catalyst for significant change.
The NBA took a hit today. Behind that hit is a catalyst and opportunity for significant change that could make the NBA stronger than it ever has been. Its a chance to proactively put in place people, processes and transparency that will forever silence those who will question the NBA's integrity.
I have complete confidence that David Stern and Adam Silver will do just that and the NBA and our officiating will be all the stronger for it.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Good for him..Unlike some phonies like Stephen Smith who yell due process for Vick but already have the ref tarred and feathered
Posted at 2:17PM on Jul 21st 2007 by Carl
2. Cuban gets a bad rap pretty often, but as a Dallas fan who always gets to see him in the media this seems pretty consistent with his body of work. He wants the NBA to be better; whether that is through better officiating or whatever it takes.
And for the record, the NBA took maybe the biggest hit in Dallas in this whole ref scandal. If you thought people were crying 2006 Finals conspiracy BEFORE it was revealed a ref was actually changing games, you should hear them now.
Posted at 3:27PM on Jul 21st 2007 by Nick
3. Mark Cuban loses if fans think the NBA is illegitimate.
Posted at 9:08PM on Jul 21st 2007 by Joe
4.
Cuban is lightheaded for a reason. Who knows, he might have been involved by this scandal. Maybe at one point, he paid this particular ref to win games for him. With the kind of money that he have, who knows? By the way, Mavs really lost that finals.
Posted at 1:30AM on Jul 22nd 2007 by DM
5. "3. Mark Cuban loses if fans think the NBA is illegitimate."
Bingo. That's why he squashed the "NBA is fixed" talk so soon after the finals. Stern probably had a heart to heart with him and said look fool, if the league goes down you lose a ton of money. So I won't fine you, and you will shut up about it.
Posted at 1:36PM on Jul 22nd 2007 by SHOTT3R
6. 1. Good for him..Unlike some phonies like Stephen Smith who yell due process for Vick but already have the ref tarred and feathered
As opposed to all the people who have Vick tarred and feathered?
Posted at 12:16PM on Jul 23rd 2007 by bhob83
7. 1. Good for him..Unlike some phonies like Stephen Smith who yell due process for Vick but already have the ref tarred and feathered.
As opposed to all the people who already have Vick tarred and feathered?
Posted at 12:19PM on Jul 23rd 2007 by hob
8. if anyone is interested, I found this page that has up to date Mavericks news feeds
http://www.mysportsscoop.com/mavericks/
Posted at 10:21AM on Jul 24th 2007 by Z
9. Big ups to Mr. Cuban, here he had a chance to comunicate what he has always been saying, but instead he shows support for an organization that made him what he is today. I have always like him, he has brought his team up to game winning status. Even though he has said that the officiating from the refs stink, he didn't dwell on it, hell he never even mentioned it, good for him. Huntwilliam8
Posted at 3:50PM on Jul 24th 2007 by Huntwilliam8
10. I commend Mark Cuban on his reaction to this whole mess. My first reaction was vindication, but it's pointless now. As far as the Mavs really losing the 2006 Finals, I mean, seriously, you don't have to be a Mavericks fan to know what happened there. The ref in question didn't even officiate that game, and I'm not saying it was "fixed", but the calls were totally outlandish, and in this case, made a lot of difference in the outcome of the entire series. 2007 Playoffs? Different story. This guy just proved to the world that things like this are possible and do happen. Cuban has been the only one with the nerve to call it like he sees it, and now, he has been proven correct. Finally, the NBA has been forced to acknowledge that he may have been right all along.
Posted at 12:41AM on Aug 2nd 2007 by Morgan