Mark Cuban shouldn’t be who we thought he was going to be

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 match a shade underneath two months after buying and selling for Kyrie Irving. It could be straightforward 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 vitality of youth and alter.

On Wednesday, Cuban gave unplanned media availability to offer his facet on how contract extension talks with present rising New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson fell via final season. He denied what Brunson informed Turner Sports activities’ 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 supply that Dorian Finney-Smith had signed. In response to Brunson, the Mavericks didn’t get again to him. In February, Brunson claimed that the Mavericks had been keen to increase him that provide, however by then he was frequently beginning and enjoying effectively.

Cuban informed the media that Brunson was not keen to signal the extension in January, and the primary cause was the involvement of his mother and father.

“We thought, ‘trigger JB saved on telling us he preferred being right here. JB by no means gave us a sign,” Cuban informed the media. “It was solely the mother and father that had been the difficulty.”

Cuban even went as far as to learn from his telephone to the media what he claims had been textual content messages from Mavericks’ General Manager Nico Harrison and Brunson’s agent Aaron Mintz. Messages that allegedly contained Brunson’s father Rick — presently a Knicks assistant coach — wanting his son to signal an $18-$23 million per yr deal. Brunson signed with the Knicks over the summer time for 4 years at $26 million per yr. (New York has a greater document than the Mavs this season.)

The Mavericks had each cause for not eager 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 Sport 7 of the Mavericks’ first-round loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. Brunson didn’t play 16 minutes in both recreation, and was not an everyday 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 supplied to increase Brunson, however he went so low as accountable his mother and father for wanting their youngster to signal the most effective contract doable. Whatever the 100% reality of what occurred, placing them at fault is an entire abdication of duty.

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 shouldn’t be 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 had 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 after 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 collection till final season — largely as a result of Brunson carried them via the primary spherical when Luka Dončić was harm. 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 profitable after 2011.

Cuban’s on-court failures, nonetheless, pale compared to what occurred within the workplace. In 2018, Sports activities 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 fees 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 inner investigation confirmed that the office tradition within the Mavericks workplace was certainly poisonous. The investigation additionally concluded that Cuban had no data of those incidents, however he did apologize on tv for what occurred.

In spring 2022, former coach and basic 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 these allegations, and the Mavericks launched a press release that does the identical.

It has been 23 years since Cuban bought the Mavericks. He has actually made NBA basketball much more fashionable within the Metroplex than ever earlier than. So far as him being a brand new and improved sports activities proprietor although, his monitor document within the NBA reveals him to be one other man who is aware of how you can make a buck.