Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban now is an "NBA champion who can be humble one moment, back to his raucous roots the next," according to Jamie Aron of the AP. During the trophy presentation ceremony following the Mavericks' win last night in Game Six of the NBA Finals, Cuban "stood behind a 78-year-old man and let him take center stage, a reward for Donald Carter having founded the team 31 long years ago." Cuban had "approached Carter at game's end and asked him to accept the trophy from" NBA Commissioner David Stern. It was a "classy move and, by Carter's estimation, the continuation of a run of great moves by Cuban this postseason." Cuban also "brought his wife and three kids on the podium to enjoy the moment." But then "out came the Mark Cuban most sports fans remember." He "swore in multiple TV interviews to emphasize how proud he was of his fans." Cuban "hadn't spoken publicly since winning the Western Conference championship" and had been "censoring himself the past six weeks." Cuban, "reciting the litany of questions he knew would surround each series," said, "It didn't make any sense to say anything. The quieter I got, the more we won. I didn't want to break the karma." Aron notes Cuban last night "spoke into the microphone with a voice scratchy from screaming and choked with emotion," and he "talked about being happy for his players" (AP, 6/13). Cuban sat down with ESPN’s Hannah Storm after the Mavericks won the title and was asked about his “personal journey” since buying the team in ’00. Cuban: “Keep on grinding and trying to get smarter every year, having smart people around me ... people who are a lot smarter than I am who are just telling me what checks to write and knowing that with somebody like (F Dirk Nowitzki), we're always going to have a chance. If we could just find the right pieces to put around him, then great things can happen” ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 6/13).
PASSION PLAY: In Seattle, Christian Caple writes Cuban is the "one guy in that organization whose success the league can most benefit from." Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki "getting a ring is good for Dirk and good for the Mavs, but not a precursor for a radical change in the league's hierarchy of superstars." Caple: "While the Mavericks' improbable title run is made special by all of the moving parts and unlikely heroes ... it's the man atop the front office who stands to gain the most from his team's championship." Those who "can't stand Cuban tend to feel that way because he's obnoxious, overly visible, critical of the league's officiating, involves himself too often with on-court matters that most other owners would leave to players to handle." But Caple wrote fans "get the impression that he's living and dying with every possession." Caple: "At the end of the day, yes, success equals dollars, but the success part seems as important to Cuban as the resulting profit margin. That's what's always set him apart. Now, his ring will, too" (SEATTLEPI.com, 6/13).
A NICE TRIBUTE: In Dallas, Brandon George writes Cuban "finally made good on his promise, delivering an NBA championship to the fans of Dallas and fulfilling his lifelong dream." Cuban "had been like an overinflated balloon about to bust for two months now because he had gone against his instincts and not spoken publicly about his team." Cuban added he wanted Carter to accept the trophy "because he and Mrs. Carter started the Mavericks and he hadn't been doing well." Cuban: "He actually missed a game for heart surgery and then came back the next game. That's how crazy he is and I thought it was important that he accept the trophy" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 6/13). SI.com's Peter King writes, "Fantastic move by Mark Cuban, shutting up and letting his players have the attention in this series, and then allowing David Stern to present the championship trophy to Mavs founder Donald Carter" (SI.com, 6/13).
