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NBA fines Cuban for incident with Nuggets

By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published January 16, 2009 at 3:44 p.m.

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Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban argues a call during the game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at the Pepsi Center.

Photo by Garrett Ellwood © NBAE via Getty

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban argues a call during the game against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday at the Pepsi Center.

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Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Friday for his actions in Tuesday’s 99-97 loss to the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

Cuban responded by posting an entry on his blog (www.blogmaverick.com) in which he writes a letter to J.R. Smith, the Nuggets player he believes should have been suspended five games for throwing an elbow that didn’t connect at Mavericks guard Antoine Wright. The letter is partly written in a sarcastic tone, with Cuban saying he’s sorry he didn’t accept Smith’s "generous offer of a signed pair of shoes" after Tuesday’s game and that he thinks "they were even my size."

Cuban also wrote in the post that if the Nuggets' public relations department contacts the Mavericks, he will donate $25,000 to charity of Smith's choice. The NBA said in a statement that Cuban’s fine was for "improper interactions with Denver Nuggets players at halftime and for his conduct immediately following" the game.

Cuban talked to Smith at halftime of the 99-97 loss, telling Smith he should be suspended for throwing the elbow in the direction of Wright. While Cuban wrote in an e-mail to the Rocky Mountain News that Smith should have been suspended five games, Smith received no suspension or fine.

Nuggets coach George Karl took exception to Cuban talking to one of his players.

After the game, which the Mavericks lost 99-97 after Dallas guard Jason Terry was called for a controversial foul with 2.2 seconds left and Chauncey Billups hit two game-winning free throws, Cuban went onto the floor and yelled at someone. Cuban has claimed to the Rocky that he was not yelling at the officials, but at an unnamed Denver supporter.

Cuban wrote in an e-mail to the Rocky that Smith sent a pair of signed shoes to him in the visitor’s locker room after the game. Cuban returned them.

Shortly after being fined Friday, Cuban posted this on his blog (spelling and grammatical errors have not been corrected):

Dear JR.

Im sorry I didnt accept your generous offer of a signed pair of shoes. I think they were even my size.

The NBA tells me a tech should have been called on you for throwing the elbow and that I should pay a 25k dollar fine because owners aren’t supposed to get mad. Ever.

In the spirit of the joy of my getting fined and your not getting the tech, have the Nuggets PR folks contact the Mavs PR folks and I will donate 25k to the charity of your choice.

Unless of course your coach thinks that the wrong thing to do, or the NBA says I can’t because it would be a violation of a rule. In which case, I will find a charity that I think you would like and make the donation in your name.

bff

m

An NBA official said Cuban’s fine was "for the totality of his actions." The official said the league took into account both what Cuban did at halftime and after the game.

Since buying the Mavericks in 2000, Cuban has been a fined a reported 14 times for an amount totaling $1.69 million.

Comments

  • January 16, 2009

    4:26 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    280Pagoda writes:

    About time. Nothing But Arrogance - NBA

  • January 16, 2009

    4:26 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    dv8 writes:

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

    I bet he wants the shoes back. What a tool!!

  • January 16, 2009

    4:32 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    leavemealone writes:

    I love it!!!

    LOL

  • January 16, 2009

    4:44 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    TYoungman writes:

    Poor Mark; he was born with a silver foot in his mouth!

    -Ann Richards

  • January 16, 2009

    4:45 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    earlbowden writes:

    $25,000? Why didn't they ask him for that when he was on the court? That's pocket money for this guy. How could that amount even come close to being a deterrent for a bazillionaire? What needs to be done is have his arse banned from all courtside areas, and charge him $100,000 for every viloation.

    The NBA needs to get tough with this egomaniac and quit pussyfooting around him with coffee money fines.

  • January 16, 2009

    5:02 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Who_Me writes:

    "The post also said Cuban if the Nuggets' public relations department contacts the Mavericks, he will donate $25,000 to charity of Smith's choice."

    What? We know the writers have a hard time writing, maybe the editors have already flown the coop.

  • January 16, 2009

    5:09 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    cdmdenver writes:

    WAIT UNTIL YOUR TRIAL FOR INSIDER TRADING-CUBAN!

  • January 16, 2009

    5:09 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    cosportsfanintx writes:

    "Poor Mark; he was born with a silver foot in his mouth!
    -Ann Richards"

    Actually, TYoungman, he wasn't. He made his money on his own. It wasn't handed to him. He bought that silver foot.

  • January 16, 2009

    5:15 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    The_Man writes:

    Why did he write that blog to JR Smith. We all know JR can't read.

  • January 16, 2009

    5:20 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    303JRfor3 writes:

    HAHAHAHAHA!!

    the_man-- its the thought that counts...

    that letter is classic

  • January 16, 2009

    5:28 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    MrYeahBut writes:

    HA HA

  • January 16, 2009

    6:04 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Buffs writes:

    The_Man writes:

    Why did he write that blog to JR Smith. We all know JR can't read.

    Bet he can count the 4.9 million he's making this season.

  • January 16, 2009

    6:46 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    KornScat writes:

    Love it, they should have fined him according to how much money he makes like we're taxed to how much money we make, it really should have been like a 2.5mil fine, and the next time he gets involved courtside he should have to release Dirk Nowitsky lol.

  • January 16, 2009

    7:28 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jbowen43 writes:

    JR.
    Doctors Without Borders can use Cuban's cash.

  • January 16, 2009

    8:13 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    wjrudy writes:

    Seriously - Banned from courtside would be an appropriate consequence. Cuban's an arrogant showman... and removing that opportunity would would be "hitting him where it counts." Obviously, monetary fines are meaningless as a deterrent for him. Indeed, they're quite the opposite - they give him a forum to continue drawing attention to himself everytime he dishes the money to charities (the donations, of course, are a good thing for the charities - so give him the fines AND the behavior restriction).

  • January 16, 2009

    9:24 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    smith writes:

    bff... love it

    Maybe they should get a heart necklace to split

  • January 16, 2009

    9:34 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    ljsbronconm writes:

    LOL! that was a great game! seeing the nuggets get the win was even better. Nuggets are doing great and hopefully stuff like that won't distract them. Beat the Mavs again! NM Backs The Nuggets.
    " Go Nuggets"

  • January 16, 2009

    11:35 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    avsfan71085 writes:

    Hey Mark if you're going to throw away 1.69 million over the next 9 years I ask you to put it into my charity, you can find it as USBANK.COM what an a*s this man is, I have to work to pay my bills and have a little extra, he gets to throw away millions! Gotta love the US of A!

  • January 17, 2009

    3:21 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    deadndenver writes:

    bff?
    sweet!
    If cuban has that much money to throw around John Temple should have taken him to lunch to talk about buying the RMN.

  • January 17, 2009

    9:20 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    mikeyg writes:

    This is the same guy who financed that movie, "Redacted" from last year that portrayed American G.I.'s as gleeful murderers who enjoy killing Middle-Eastern women and children for perverted sport.

    The film Cuban paid to make is used as recruiting propaganda for real terrorists who really do kill women and children for perverted sport, and who really do kill American G.I.'s, you know, that nineteen year old neighbor kid who used to play soccer on the street with your kids who'll never come home - thanks to Mark Cuban's terrorist-hugging anti-American propaganda that inspired "Ali" to hate.

    Cuban is a piece of s---, and it has been a part of my daily prayers for the Mavericks to really blow for as long as he owns them.

  • January 17, 2009

    9:28 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Steve_In_Denver writes:

    The league should have also banned Cuban from watching the game anywhere near courtside or the 1st level in any arena for at least a month. Keep him isolated in the owners box where he belongs. That would have been great to see and the Mavericks coaches/players would probably get a break from him as well.

  • January 17, 2009

    5:39 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    jersey writes:

    The_Man: Do you know JR personally or was that just your infantile attempt at humor. earlbowden: Ditto! The silver lining would be his following through on his offer to donate the $$$ to a charity. Even with that generosity it does not excuse him from the idiotic over zealous behaviour he exhibited to create the offer in the first place. $25,000? That's tantamount to tipping money, a slap on the wrist, the guranteed behaviour altering (sic) timeout etc. Maybe I'm missing something here but I'm assuming that the people who mete out the fines are college educated. Just goes to prove all the book learning in the world does not automatically equate to having common sense. You would think that those spineless judiciaries are sleeping in the same bed with "Cubes". Enough is enough already and show some gumption by following the lead of MLB in banning him for life for the repeated offenses continuing to make a mockery out of the league in making it his own playground and above the law as to adhering to rules. If nothing else they should at least threaten him with the bannishment whether they can actully implemented or not as a possible deterent. Nothing ventured, nothing gained!