A “slam dunk” story for the day after the NBA Draft:
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban isn’t shy about using multiple avenues to promote himself and his team. In what is likely an attempt to keep his name in the news, Cuban is suing Golden State Warriors head coach Don Nelson, who used to coach the Mavericks, for knowing the Mavericks personnel a little too well. This “inside” knowledge, claims Cuban, helped the eighth-seeded Warriors beat the #1 seed Mavericks in the first round of the NBA playoffs this year.
From the story:
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes Golden State’s sizzling shooting alone didn’t sink his basketball team in the most stunning playoff defeat in NBA history.
That’s according to Don Nelson’s attorney, John O’Connor, who said Cuban is suing Nelson, claiming the Warriors beat the Mavs in the first round because the Warriors’ coach — and former coach of the Mavs — had “confidential information and he [Cuban] wants to enjoin Don from coaching against the Mavericks.”…
According to the story, when Nelson left the Mavericks, he signed a “non-compete” agreement with Cuban, which Nelson claims ended when he took the job with Golden State. Cuban contends that this agreement is still in effect, which should prohibit Nelson from being able to coach another team.
I’ve often wondered how this actually affects sports teams – for instance, when a baseball player is traded mid-season to a competitor. Does it do his new team any good to have his inside knowledge of how the other team works? Isn’t it an advantage to know all the signals and shifts the other team can make, not to mention the personnel tendencies?
It’s still up in the air, however, which is a more embarrassing move for a franchise: Cuban’s lawsuit, or drafting a Chinese guy who may be lying about his age, refuses to work out against a human being, and has the Chinese government saying he will never play for your team. But I’m not bitter.
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Up next: balaclavas on all Mavs. Who is that 7 ft white guy who likes to shoot off the wrong foot, anyway? Beats me!
Perhaps it’s time for Bucks fans to file a class-action suit for franchise ineptitude? Or does Sen. Kohl get special government protections from regular-Joe lawsuits?
Who watches the NBA? All I see is a bunch of seven foot tall goons hanging on the rim.
Either cut the team size down by one or electrify the rim so they don’t hang on it and then you’ll have some thing to watch.
Perhaps it’s time for Celtics fans to file a class-action suit for franchise ineptitude?
There, fixed it for ya…
/Ray Allen for the #5 pick?
//No, I’m not bitter
I’m holding out for a law prohibiting professional basketball. And hockey.
They both soak up local taxes to do something of utterly no interest to me.
If a law can’t be passed, then class action will have to do. Daubert will have no effect on any of the cases, so the jackals should be foaming at the mouth to take the case.
John Burgess,
A 100% federal tax on govt subsidies to pro sports teams would do the trick nicely.
Other levels of govt wouldn’t mind it, either, as they already know they’re being played against each other. Ditto the voters.
Don’t you mean the WNBA and Title IX, instead of pro basketball and hockey?
The NFL Oakland Raiders would have better “claims” against the Tampa Bay Bucs and coach John Gruden for the Raider’s recent Super Bowl loss. As was reported in numerous contemporary news articles, Gruden, as the former head coach of the Raiders, was able to provide intimate knowledge about the players and tactics the Bucs would face. How could such a hard core litigant as Al Davis pass up an opportunity to score a Lombardi trophy in the courtroom?
The NFL Oakland Raiders would have better “claims” against the Tampa Bay Bucs and coach John Gruden for the Raider’s recent Super Bowl loss.
Then Tony Dungy should sue the Bucs for giving Gruden his Super Bowl ring. Obviously racial discrimination.
Since Tony’s too cool to do that, I’ll do it on his behalf; proceeds to the charity of his choice.