The Mavericks have "revoked the season media credentials of ESPN.com’s Tim MacMahon and Marc Stein," according to sources cited by Tim Cato of SB NATION. Neither reporter "have been allowed to attend home games as of last Friday." MacMahon’s role at ESPN "changed this year, transitioning from a full-time Mavericks beat writer to a more general NBA position that included other teams," something Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban "was unhappy with." MacMahon "covered the Mavericks’ home opener and all three road games, but will not be credentialed for games in Dallas." MacMahon is based in Dallas, as is Stein, who has been a "widely known national NBA writer at ESPN.com for years." ESPN VP/Communications Josh Krulewitz in a statement said, "We’re committed to thoroughly covering the Mavs and the NBA" (SBNATION.com, 11/6). In Ft. Worth, Art Garcia reports the "media blackout also extends to all ESPN.com reporters wishing to cover" home Mavericks games this season (STAR-TELEGRAM.com, 11/7). Cuban said that MacMahon and Stein "weren't banned from the American Airlines Center, but wouldn't be allowed to cover games there." Cuban: "It's between us and ESPN" (AP, 11/7). This isn't the first time Cuban and the Mavericks have blocked access to reporters. The team in '08 banned full-time bloggers, including MacMahon, from the team's locker room (THE DAILY).
TWITTER REAX: The Dallas Morning News' Tim Cowlishaw: "This is Cuban being a moron. Nothing new in itself, only new level for him. Funny he bashes Trump for this behavior." SI.com's Richard Deitsch: "This is always amateur & every NBA reporter should respond." MassLive.com's Tom Westerholm: "This probably won’t end well."
