GotGibson?
Bench Warmer
Mark Cuban is in hot water with David Stern again. Exactly how hot remains to be seen.
An NBA spokesman said on Wednesday that "we are reviewing the events of [Tuesday] night" after Cuban exchanged words with Nuggets guard J.R. Smith at halftime of the Mavericks' controversial 99-97 loss to Denver.
The NBA also is looking into whether Cuban verbally abused an official as he exited the court -- something Cuban has denied.
Cuban could be seen mouthing an obscenity shortly after Chauncey Billups made two free throws with 2.2 seconds left for the game-winning points following a highly questionable foul call against Jason Terry.
NBA security is conducting the investigation, and there is no timetable for reaching a decision. The league will have to decide by Thursday night, before the Nuggets' next game, whether an elbow thrown by Smith -- an elbow that Cuban complained to Smith about in person at halftime -- merits a suspension.
"As far as getting fined, I should get a medal instead. There was a real opportunity for the situation to escalate into something bad. I made it clear to our guys not to retaliate and that I would address it with the officials and the player, which I did," Cuban said Wednesday night in an e-mail to ESPN.com. "The real question is why, given the history of the player involved, the Nuggets and NBA officials didn't have the least bit concern about this situation escalating into something ugly. They are playing it off like throwing elbows away from the play at someone's head is 'just part of the game.' Let's really hope it's not."
Penalties against Cuban could range from a fine to a suspension, although the league has not suspended Cuban since 2001. One source indicated a suspension seemed less likely than a fine.
Cuban approached Smith at halftime after the guard swung his elbow at Dallas' Antoine Wright.
"I do take exception with players throwing elbows that could have severely injured one of our players," Cuban wrote in an e-mail to the Rocky Mountain News. "I was very cordial in letting Mr. Smith know [at halftime] that I will be turning it into the league, and I expected him to be suspended for it."
Nuggets coach George Karl did not appreciate Cuban talking to Smith at halftime.
"I don't care if Cuban barks, but he shouldn't be barking at my players,'" Karl said. "He barked at J.R. at halftime. I thought it was very unprofessional, irresponsible."
Cuban also wrote that after the game Smith sent him a pair of signed shoes in an apparent goodwill gesture, and Cuban declined them.
Cuban was fined $200,000 for going onto the court after Game 1 of Dallas' series against the Spurs in 2006 and for criticizing league officials on his blog. He has been fined 13 separate times by the NBA for a total of $1,665,000, and he was suspended for three games in his first two years after buying the Mavericks.
He was quick to publicize each one -- especially a $500,000 penalty for saying he wouldn't hire the NBA's head of officials "to manage a Dairy Queen" -- and matched each with a donation to charity.
In his e-mail to ESPN.com, Cuban said he had not yet spoken with anyone from NBA security. He acknowledged using profanity as he exited.
"I'm not going to say who I was addressing, but it wasn't the refs," he said. "By that point I couldn't even see them. I was addressing someone else. And I'm sure I said 'That was [expletive],' and I'm sure that isn't berating anyone. That was reflecting on an action someone took after the game. Was I mad? Yep. But I said it and walked to the locker room.
"I didn't speak to the refs at all. The only interaction I had was at halftime to send the NBA security person to the officials' locker room to ask them to look at the tape of the last play of the half. And as far as my actions, I never left the front of my bench at halftime. I had a nice cordial conversation with Chauncey and Dahntay Jones, then J.R. walked up and my conversation with him was cordial as well. I told him that I was going to turn in the play and I thought he would get suspended. He said that he was responding to our guy. I said if he had a problem, turn it in, but throwing an elbow at someone's head is not part of the game. That was it. He walked away."
An NBA spokesman said on Wednesday that "we are reviewing the events of [Tuesday] night" after Cuban exchanged words with Nuggets guard J.R. Smith at halftime of the Mavericks' controversial 99-97 loss to Denver.
The NBA also is looking into whether Cuban verbally abused an official as he exited the court -- something Cuban has denied.
Cuban could be seen mouthing an obscenity shortly after Chauncey Billups made two free throws with 2.2 seconds left for the game-winning points following a highly questionable foul call against Jason Terry.
NBA security is conducting the investigation, and there is no timetable for reaching a decision. The league will have to decide by Thursday night, before the Nuggets' next game, whether an elbow thrown by Smith -- an elbow that Cuban complained to Smith about in person at halftime -- merits a suspension.
"As far as getting fined, I should get a medal instead. There was a real opportunity for the situation to escalate into something bad. I made it clear to our guys not to retaliate and that I would address it with the officials and the player, which I did," Cuban said Wednesday night in an e-mail to ESPN.com. "The real question is why, given the history of the player involved, the Nuggets and NBA officials didn't have the least bit concern about this situation escalating into something ugly. They are playing it off like throwing elbows away from the play at someone's head is 'just part of the game.' Let's really hope it's not."
Penalties against Cuban could range from a fine to a suspension, although the league has not suspended Cuban since 2001. One source indicated a suspension seemed less likely than a fine.
Cuban approached Smith at halftime after the guard swung his elbow at Dallas' Antoine Wright.
"I do take exception with players throwing elbows that could have severely injured one of our players," Cuban wrote in an e-mail to the Rocky Mountain News. "I was very cordial in letting Mr. Smith know [at halftime] that I will be turning it into the league, and I expected him to be suspended for it."
Nuggets coach George Karl did not appreciate Cuban talking to Smith at halftime.
"I don't care if Cuban barks, but he shouldn't be barking at my players,'" Karl said. "He barked at J.R. at halftime. I thought it was very unprofessional, irresponsible."
Cuban also wrote that after the game Smith sent him a pair of signed shoes in an apparent goodwill gesture, and Cuban declined them.
Cuban was fined $200,000 for going onto the court after Game 1 of Dallas' series against the Spurs in 2006 and for criticizing league officials on his blog. He has been fined 13 separate times by the NBA for a total of $1,665,000, and he was suspended for three games in his first two years after buying the Mavericks.
He was quick to publicize each one -- especially a $500,000 penalty for saying he wouldn't hire the NBA's head of officials "to manage a Dairy Queen" -- and matched each with a donation to charity.
In his e-mail to ESPN.com, Cuban said he had not yet spoken with anyone from NBA security. He acknowledged using profanity as he exited.
"I'm not going to say who I was addressing, but it wasn't the refs," he said. "By that point I couldn't even see them. I was addressing someone else. And I'm sure I said 'That was [expletive],' and I'm sure that isn't berating anyone. That was reflecting on an action someone took after the game. Was I mad? Yep. But I said it and walked to the locker room.
"I didn't speak to the refs at all. The only interaction I had was at halftime to send the NBA security person to the officials' locker room to ask them to look at the tape of the last play of the half. And as far as my actions, I never left the front of my bench at halftime. I had a nice cordial conversation with Chauncey and Dahntay Jones, then J.R. walked up and my conversation with him was cordial as well. I told him that I was going to turn in the play and I thought he would get suspended. He said that he was responding to our guy. I said if he had a problem, turn it in, but throwing an elbow at someone's head is not part of the game. That was it. He walked away."
