Flo-Rida
12-20-2008, 10:18 AM
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/nets/2008/12/mark-cuban-fires-back-at-nets.html
There's a debate going on, one that will likely last for a while, about who got the better end of the Devin Harris-for-Jason Kidd deal - the Nets or the Mavericks?
With just over two minutes left in the Nets' 121-97 win over Dallas Friday night at the Meadowlands, Nets fans shouted out their answer.
"Thank you, Cuban! Thank you, Cuban!" they chanted.
Harris had just left the game after scoring 41 points and dishing out 13 assists. Kidd had 17 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
One game in December may not put an end to the argument. But perhaps Harris' season-long dominance is the best indication of what the Nets received and what Dallas gave up. He went into the game averaging 23.8 points, sixth in the league.
After the game, I asked Kidd if he heard the chants about Cuban and he responded, "When they were talking about his dancing?"
Moments later, someone asked a follow-up question about that topic and Kidd said, "What's that got to do with me? You answer that question. Ask Cuban. Did you ask Cuban? Ask him."
So we did. And here's what the Mavericks owner said:
"I guess when you don't care about your own team you talk about someone on the other team, right? I guess that's what Nets fans are all about...I think the goal of everybody in New Jersey is to be a general manager. So I can understand why they want to share their expertise."
Then calling it a "single game," Cuban said he has no regrets about the deal and that he's not surprised at how well Harris has played for the Nets.
"No. They built the offense around him. The kid can score. That's what he does," Cuban said. "When he's like that he's very comparable to Allen Iverson. That's the way he's playing. He deserves a lot of credit; he's a great kid. But he just fills a different role than we felt we needed when we made the trade. We have a lot of scorers. We have a lot of shooters. So it's different. We don't run an offense where he would just dominate the ball. It is what it is."
I have to admit, being from New Jersey, I wanted to smack Cuban when he took a couple of jabs at fans from the state. But I have to give the guy credit, he's a good sport and obviously keeps things in perspective.
"Everybody's a general manager," he said. "But as long as people are having fun at the game, that's more important."
There's a debate going on, one that will likely last for a while, about who got the better end of the Devin Harris-for-Jason Kidd deal - the Nets or the Mavericks?
With just over two minutes left in the Nets' 121-97 win over Dallas Friday night at the Meadowlands, Nets fans shouted out their answer.
"Thank you, Cuban! Thank you, Cuban!" they chanted.
Harris had just left the game after scoring 41 points and dishing out 13 assists. Kidd had 17 points, seven assists and four rebounds.
One game in December may not put an end to the argument. But perhaps Harris' season-long dominance is the best indication of what the Nets received and what Dallas gave up. He went into the game averaging 23.8 points, sixth in the league.
After the game, I asked Kidd if he heard the chants about Cuban and he responded, "When they were talking about his dancing?"
Moments later, someone asked a follow-up question about that topic and Kidd said, "What's that got to do with me? You answer that question. Ask Cuban. Did you ask Cuban? Ask him."
So we did. And here's what the Mavericks owner said:
"I guess when you don't care about your own team you talk about someone on the other team, right? I guess that's what Nets fans are all about...I think the goal of everybody in New Jersey is to be a general manager. So I can understand why they want to share their expertise."
Then calling it a "single game," Cuban said he has no regrets about the deal and that he's not surprised at how well Harris has played for the Nets.
"No. They built the offense around him. The kid can score. That's what he does," Cuban said. "When he's like that he's very comparable to Allen Iverson. That's the way he's playing. He deserves a lot of credit; he's a great kid. But he just fills a different role than we felt we needed when we made the trade. We have a lot of scorers. We have a lot of shooters. So it's different. We don't run an offense where he would just dominate the ball. It is what it is."
I have to admit, being from New Jersey, I wanted to smack Cuban when he took a couple of jabs at fans from the state. But I have to give the guy credit, he's a good sport and obviously keeps things in perspective.
"Everybody's a general manager," he said. "But as long as people are having fun at the game, that's more important."