For the past month, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wanted to devise a scheme to get fined one more time before NBA commissioner David Stern retired on Feb. 1.
Cuban got his wish Saturday when Stern fined him a whopping $100,000 for confronting the referees at the end of Wednesday’s 129-127 loss in Los Angeles to the Clippers.
The statement from the NBA also said Cuban “directed inappropriate language” to the referees.
It is the first known fine Cuban has received this season. Cuban, however, has made several large withdrawals from his bank account since he became the Mavs’ owner on Jan. 4, 2000.
In all, Cuban has been fined 20 known times by the NBA for nearly $2 million. Cuban normally matches that fine and gives an equal amount to a charity.
This time he used his Twitter account to announce how that will occur.
“I will donate an equal amount to a charity,” Cuban tweeted. “But [I’m] going to wait till [I get 2 million] followers.
“And if you email me you are not eligible. Twitter @mcuban.”
Among the things thatset Cuban off on Wednesdaywas a six-point play the Clippers executed late in the game. Also, Shawn Marion was whistled for a questionable foul on Jamal Crawford with 11 seconds left and the Mavs ahead 127-126.
Crawford’s two free throws put the Clippers ahead for good, and Cuban lit into the referees at the game’s conclusion.
Before the Mavs’ game Friday in Phoenix, Cuban wondered aloud why he hadn’t heard from the NBA after Los Angeles. Now, he has.
Former staff thriving
Within a span of five days, coach Rick Carlisle will have matched coaching wits against the two men who were his top assistants when the Mavs captured the 2011 NBA title.
Terry Stotts was Carlisle’s offensive coordinator and is now coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. Dwane Casey was Carlisle’s defensive coordinator is now coach of the Toronto Raptors.
The Mavs hosted the Blazers on Saturday and will face the Raptors in Toronto on Wednesday.
Carlisle said the two had a lot of responsibilities with Dallas and both left to turn around struggling programs.
“There’s a saying that I heard — I think it’s a Lou Holtz saying — there’s no such thing as getting a good job,” Carlisle said. “They got a bad job and made it a good job and that’s what both of those guys have done.”
Owner Mark Cuban really didn’t want Stotts and Casey to leave his organization.
“Enough to have to give serious thoughts to not grant permission,” Cuban said. “But you can’t hold those guys back.
“Rick would have had a heart attack. Yeah, they’re that good.”
Ledo to Texas Legends
The Mavs assigned rookie guard Ricky Ledo to the Texas Legends of the D-League on Saturday.
Ledo, in his second stint with the Legends, scored nine points in 29 minutes in Texas’ 109-99 win over Austin on Saturday.
But Carlisle said Ledo could be back in time to fly with the Mavs on Sunday to Cleveland, where they open a three-game road trip on Monday.
“We’ll see where we are after the game [Saturday] and if it’s best for him to rejoin our team for the trip, he will do that,” he said. “Otherwise he will continue to work down there, because he’s made great strides down there with the Frisco team.”
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