Jimcs50
04-23-2009, 02:18 PM
Found this article, interesting read.
By Veronica Corningstone/ San Diego Union Tribune
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban rarely gives in-depth interviews, choosing instead to communicate his views and feelings through his blog or by e-mail.
But as his 10th regular season as owner, he gave an extended interview to the San Diego Union Tribune. Here are some selected questions and answers:
Cuban: "1001, 1002, 1003"
.
Veronica Corningstone: Uh, Mr. Cuban? I am here for the interview.
Cuban: Oh, Miss Corningstone. I wasn't expecting company. Just doing my workout. Tuesday's arms and back.
Veronica Corningstone: Well, our appointment was for 10am, sir.
Oh, really?
Yes.
Ohh, it's the deep burn. Oh, it's so deep. Oh, I can barely lift my right arm 'cause I did so many. I don't know if you heard me counting. I did over a thousand, you know.
Shall we start, Mr Cuban?
Another postseason is approaching – your ninth in 10 seasons as owner. Does it feel any different than it did that first playoff year, 2001?
Of course, because [in 2001] we hadn't been to the playoffs in 10 years. So making the playoffs was an accomplishment.
I remember: We were in Houston when we clinched, even though we actually lost the game. That was emotional. Something no one thought we could do. Didn't have any expectations, and we did it. So that was special, beating Utah that year.
On the Calvin Booth shot in Game 5.
But even better, Utah hadn't sold out the game. I said, 'There's free tickets for any Mavs fans that show up.' There were a good 400 people who came from Dallas.
When we went out to get on the bus to go to the arena, outside the hotel was packed with people. So that was a highlight. And after we won on that put-back, running around on the court and having Mavs fans coming on the court, jumping around, that was big.
The trip to the Finals was big, coming back to Love Field and seeing thousands of people out there. There's been so many good moments.
It just changes because expectations change. Now, people are going to get excited after we win a playoff game on the road. That's just the nature of the beast.
Veronica Corningstone: My God, what is that smell? Oh.
That's the smell of desire my lady.
It is a special cologne... It's called Sex Panther by Odeon. It's illegal in nine countries... Yep, it's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.
Veronica Corningstone: God no, it smells like, like a used diaper... filled with... Indian food. Oh, excuse me.
Cuban I wanna say something. I'm gonna put it out there; if you like it, you can take it, if you don't, send it right back. I want to be on you.
[Veronica turns and walks away]
Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I... I wanna be on you.
Cuban : I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
Really.
People know me.
Well, I'm very happy for you.
I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my house smells of rich mahogany.
Veronica Corningstone: Mr. Cuban, you have a *massive* erection.
Cuban: Oh, uh, it's the pleats...
Don't act like you're not impressed.
Back to the point, Mr Cuban, You have always come across as a roll-up-your-sleeves guy, building things up. You built this franchise up. What state is it in now?
That's a dumb question. The reality is there's no state. Everything's always in flux.
Your sleeves are always rolled up?
We're always trying to do the best we can. What state were the Lakers in two years ago, when they were about to trade Kobe? What state were the Celtics in two years ago? You try to say, 'Well, we're in this state,' then it presumes that things are static or finite and that's just the way it is. We're always looking to do the best we can to try to win a championship.
I wasn't trying to be mean when I said it was a dumb question. That's a sports talk-radio question.
You can't say, 'Well, people aren't as excited as they used to be.' You have to recognize there's different levels of fans. Some fans are hardcore through thick and thin. Remember, even when we sucked in the '90s, there were still 12-to-15,000 people who came to games. So there are a lot of die-hard, great, great fans that I have a responsibility to.
And there's some fans who get more involved and more excited when we win. That's just the nature of the beast. It's a whole lot more fun when you win and a whole lot less fun when you lose, but you do your best and don't ever try to let up and always try to make your team better. That's always the state of the Mavs.
Cuban: So you are from San Diego? It was discovered by the Germans in 1904 they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale's vagina.
Veronica Corningstone: No, there's no way that's correct.
I'm sorry, I was trying to impress you. I don't know what it means. I'll be honest, I don't think anyone knows what it means anymore. Scholars maintain that the translation was lost hundreds of years ago.
Veronica Corningstone: Doesn't it mean Saint Diego?
Cuban: No. No.
Veronica Corningstone: No, that's - that's what it means. Really.
Cuban: Agree to disagree.
When the Forbes magazine NBA team figures came out earlier this year, I was surprised to see the Mavericks actually lost money [$13.6 million] last year. Is that accurate?
Yeah. We've lost money most of the years.
Is that because of your willingness to take on larger payrolls?
I'd rather win than make more money. I've got money. I'd just rather win.
You say you have lost money most years?
Yeah, I think we've made money two years.
Do you remember which years? The Finals year, perhaps [2006]?
No, I don't remember which two. It was either the Finals year or the year after, and one of the earlier years.
You aren't concerned about that?
Of course I'm concerned about it. But like I said, I've been blessed. Depending on where the economy goes, we'll have to make adjustments. But I've got money. I don't have a championship.
I want to win. I want to win for myself, the city, the players, that's just my goal. Now, how we do it is the hard part. It's not always just about spending money, so we've got to try to figure it out.
Cuban :You look awfully nice today. Maybe don't wear a bra next time...
Veronica Corningstone: Mr. Cuban, I'm a professional, and I would like to be able to do my job.
Cuban: Big deal. I am very professional.
Veronica Corningstone: Mr. Cuban, you are acting like a baby.
I'm not a baby, I am a man. I am a NBA owner.
Veronica Corningstone: You are a big fat joke.
I'm a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal
and brawn. That's what kind of man I am. You're just a woman with a small
brain. With a brain a third the size of us. It's science.
Veronica Corningstone: I will have you know that I have more talent and more intelligence in my little finger than you do in your entire body, sir.
You are a smelly pirate hooker.
Veronica Corningstone: You look like a blueberry.
Why don't you go back to your home on Whore Island?
Veronica Corningstone: Well, you have bad hair.
Cuban: [insulted] What did you say?
Veronica Corningstone: I said... your hair... looks stupid.
[an A-bomb mushroom cloud is reflected in Mark's eyes; Mark punches a water thermos]
Veronica: Shall we continue?
It seemed highly unusual for you to publicly criticize players the way you did after the Oklahoma City game this season.
First time I've ever done it. I did what I thought was right, plain and simple.
Did you feel at that point that some people weren't pouring themselves into the franchise as much as perhaps you do?
No. I mean, look, being a professional athlete isn't a whole lot different than working for The Dallas Morning News. When there's uncertainty, it affects your job performance. You're going to have your ups and downs, depending on what you think can or can't be accomplished.
That's reality. I just kind of wanted to get everybody back on the same page; that we're here to win.
Well, when you publicly call players out one time in 10 years, I would imagine it carries more weight. Talk about choosing your spots …
Saying something in public has a different impact than saying something directly to the guys, together or individually. I try to pick my spots for all three.
Are you having as much fun, 10 seasons later?
Yeah. It's fun when you win and it's awful when you lose. That's the way it's been.
But, yeah, I think it's just as fun. Other than losing, the only [frustration] I ever get is dealing with the league office, but now I've pretty much given up on all that stuff, except for an occasional thing here or there.
Because you know the definition of insanity, right? [re: Einstein's definition: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."]
How would you characterize your relationship with other owners, compared to when you came into the league?
The ones that are active and involved, I get along great with. The ones that aren't, I don't. Pretty simple.
You have a different set of guys now. There's guys who are involved now that paid a lot of money for their teams. When I first bought the team, it was a record price. And a lot of those guys are gone, so it's not apples to apples.
If I recall, there was at least one off-season, three or four years ago, when you considered selling the team.Yeah, more than one off-season. But that came from dealing with the league. And what kept me from doing it was the fans. I'm just trustee for the team. This team has a huge impact on so many kids and families that you don't really realize it.
That's one of the great things about making my e-mail available. I get all the e-mails from people. I've seen how it's impacted families. While it's important for me in some respects – the wins and losses – for a lot of fans and families, it's just about the Mavs. That's what always makes it special, and that's something you can't ever replace – kids who are now growing up with the team and, as time goes on, will be even more entrenched.
There are a whole lot of different perspectives, and you just kind of have to be able to see them all and recognize them all. That's what I try to do.
Since you bought the franchise, you've become a father of two and turned 50. Are you just as committed to the team?
I'm just as committed. I just don't get as upset after losses like I used to. When you come home and your little girls give you a kiss and hug, it kind of makes you forget everything else. So I've kind of mellowed out in terms of after games, but haven't really mellowed out in terms of in-games – maybe a little bit, just because I'm used to seeing everything now.
That's kind of my outlet. There's real-world, and then there's basketball in terms of the 48 minutes during the game. And then there's real world the rest of the time.
Years ago, Donald Carter told me that one of the primary reasons he eventually sold the team is he was worried about the impact on his grandkids, that perhaps they would lose a sense of reality. Do you foresee owning this team into the future?
It's the same thing I've always said: Unless the league does something so stupid – or at least stupid to me; maybe smart to them – that I can't deal with, then I don't see any reason why my kids and grandkids and their grandkids can't own it.
Cuban: I am still very upset about the hair crack.
Corningstone: Well, I'm sorry, Mr Cuban, but I had to get you to stop acting like a child and answer my questions for the readers in San Diego.
Cuban: Go fuck yourself, San Diego.
By Veronica Corningstone/ San Diego Union Tribune
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban rarely gives in-depth interviews, choosing instead to communicate his views and feelings through his blog or by e-mail.
But as his 10th regular season as owner, he gave an extended interview to the San Diego Union Tribune. Here are some selected questions and answers:
Cuban: "1001, 1002, 1003"
.
Veronica Corningstone: Uh, Mr. Cuban? I am here for the interview.
Cuban: Oh, Miss Corningstone. I wasn't expecting company. Just doing my workout. Tuesday's arms and back.
Veronica Corningstone: Well, our appointment was for 10am, sir.
Oh, really?
Yes.
Ohh, it's the deep burn. Oh, it's so deep. Oh, I can barely lift my right arm 'cause I did so many. I don't know if you heard me counting. I did over a thousand, you know.
Shall we start, Mr Cuban?
Another postseason is approaching – your ninth in 10 seasons as owner. Does it feel any different than it did that first playoff year, 2001?
Of course, because [in 2001] we hadn't been to the playoffs in 10 years. So making the playoffs was an accomplishment.
I remember: We were in Houston when we clinched, even though we actually lost the game. That was emotional. Something no one thought we could do. Didn't have any expectations, and we did it. So that was special, beating Utah that year.
On the Calvin Booth shot in Game 5.
But even better, Utah hadn't sold out the game. I said, 'There's free tickets for any Mavs fans that show up.' There were a good 400 people who came from Dallas.
When we went out to get on the bus to go to the arena, outside the hotel was packed with people. So that was a highlight. And after we won on that put-back, running around on the court and having Mavs fans coming on the court, jumping around, that was big.
The trip to the Finals was big, coming back to Love Field and seeing thousands of people out there. There's been so many good moments.
It just changes because expectations change. Now, people are going to get excited after we win a playoff game on the road. That's just the nature of the beast.
Veronica Corningstone: My God, what is that smell? Oh.
That's the smell of desire my lady.
It is a special cologne... It's called Sex Panther by Odeon. It's illegal in nine countries... Yep, it's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.
Veronica Corningstone: God no, it smells like, like a used diaper... filled with... Indian food. Oh, excuse me.
Cuban I wanna say something. I'm gonna put it out there; if you like it, you can take it, if you don't, send it right back. I want to be on you.
[Veronica turns and walks away]
Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. I... I wanna be on you.
Cuban : I don't know how to put this but I'm kind of a big deal.
Really.
People know me.
Well, I'm very happy for you.
I'm very important. I have many leather-bound books and my house smells of rich mahogany.
Veronica Corningstone: Mr. Cuban, you have a *massive* erection.
Cuban: Oh, uh, it's the pleats...
Don't act like you're not impressed.
Back to the point, Mr Cuban, You have always come across as a roll-up-your-sleeves guy, building things up. You built this franchise up. What state is it in now?
That's a dumb question. The reality is there's no state. Everything's always in flux.
Your sleeves are always rolled up?
We're always trying to do the best we can. What state were the Lakers in two years ago, when they were about to trade Kobe? What state were the Celtics in two years ago? You try to say, 'Well, we're in this state,' then it presumes that things are static or finite and that's just the way it is. We're always looking to do the best we can to try to win a championship.
I wasn't trying to be mean when I said it was a dumb question. That's a sports talk-radio question.
You can't say, 'Well, people aren't as excited as they used to be.' You have to recognize there's different levels of fans. Some fans are hardcore through thick and thin. Remember, even when we sucked in the '90s, there were still 12-to-15,000 people who came to games. So there are a lot of die-hard, great, great fans that I have a responsibility to.
And there's some fans who get more involved and more excited when we win. That's just the nature of the beast. It's a whole lot more fun when you win and a whole lot less fun when you lose, but you do your best and don't ever try to let up and always try to make your team better. That's always the state of the Mavs.
Cuban: So you are from San Diego? It was discovered by the Germans in 1904 they named it San Diego, which of course in German means a whale's vagina.
Veronica Corningstone: No, there's no way that's correct.
I'm sorry, I was trying to impress you. I don't know what it means. I'll be honest, I don't think anyone knows what it means anymore. Scholars maintain that the translation was lost hundreds of years ago.
Veronica Corningstone: Doesn't it mean Saint Diego?
Cuban: No. No.
Veronica Corningstone: No, that's - that's what it means. Really.
Cuban: Agree to disagree.
When the Forbes magazine NBA team figures came out earlier this year, I was surprised to see the Mavericks actually lost money [$13.6 million] last year. Is that accurate?
Yeah. We've lost money most of the years.
Is that because of your willingness to take on larger payrolls?
I'd rather win than make more money. I've got money. I'd just rather win.
You say you have lost money most years?
Yeah, I think we've made money two years.
Do you remember which years? The Finals year, perhaps [2006]?
No, I don't remember which two. It was either the Finals year or the year after, and one of the earlier years.
You aren't concerned about that?
Of course I'm concerned about it. But like I said, I've been blessed. Depending on where the economy goes, we'll have to make adjustments. But I've got money. I don't have a championship.
I want to win. I want to win for myself, the city, the players, that's just my goal. Now, how we do it is the hard part. It's not always just about spending money, so we've got to try to figure it out.
Cuban :You look awfully nice today. Maybe don't wear a bra next time...
Veronica Corningstone: Mr. Cuban, I'm a professional, and I would like to be able to do my job.
Cuban: Big deal. I am very professional.
Veronica Corningstone: Mr. Cuban, you are acting like a baby.
I'm not a baby, I am a man. I am a NBA owner.
Veronica Corningstone: You are a big fat joke.
I'm a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal
and brawn. That's what kind of man I am. You're just a woman with a small
brain. With a brain a third the size of us. It's science.
Veronica Corningstone: I will have you know that I have more talent and more intelligence in my little finger than you do in your entire body, sir.
You are a smelly pirate hooker.
Veronica Corningstone: You look like a blueberry.
Why don't you go back to your home on Whore Island?
Veronica Corningstone: Well, you have bad hair.
Cuban: [insulted] What did you say?
Veronica Corningstone: I said... your hair... looks stupid.
[an A-bomb mushroom cloud is reflected in Mark's eyes; Mark punches a water thermos]
Veronica: Shall we continue?
It seemed highly unusual for you to publicly criticize players the way you did after the Oklahoma City game this season.
First time I've ever done it. I did what I thought was right, plain and simple.
Did you feel at that point that some people weren't pouring themselves into the franchise as much as perhaps you do?
No. I mean, look, being a professional athlete isn't a whole lot different than working for The Dallas Morning News. When there's uncertainty, it affects your job performance. You're going to have your ups and downs, depending on what you think can or can't be accomplished.
That's reality. I just kind of wanted to get everybody back on the same page; that we're here to win.
Well, when you publicly call players out one time in 10 years, I would imagine it carries more weight. Talk about choosing your spots …
Saying something in public has a different impact than saying something directly to the guys, together or individually. I try to pick my spots for all three.
Are you having as much fun, 10 seasons later?
Yeah. It's fun when you win and it's awful when you lose. That's the way it's been.
But, yeah, I think it's just as fun. Other than losing, the only [frustration] I ever get is dealing with the league office, but now I've pretty much given up on all that stuff, except for an occasional thing here or there.
Because you know the definition of insanity, right? [re: Einstein's definition: "Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."]
How would you characterize your relationship with other owners, compared to when you came into the league?
The ones that are active and involved, I get along great with. The ones that aren't, I don't. Pretty simple.
You have a different set of guys now. There's guys who are involved now that paid a lot of money for their teams. When I first bought the team, it was a record price. And a lot of those guys are gone, so it's not apples to apples.
If I recall, there was at least one off-season, three or four years ago, when you considered selling the team.Yeah, more than one off-season. But that came from dealing with the league. And what kept me from doing it was the fans. I'm just trustee for the team. This team has a huge impact on so many kids and families that you don't really realize it.
That's one of the great things about making my e-mail available. I get all the e-mails from people. I've seen how it's impacted families. While it's important for me in some respects – the wins and losses – for a lot of fans and families, it's just about the Mavs. That's what always makes it special, and that's something you can't ever replace – kids who are now growing up with the team and, as time goes on, will be even more entrenched.
There are a whole lot of different perspectives, and you just kind of have to be able to see them all and recognize them all. That's what I try to do.
Since you bought the franchise, you've become a father of two and turned 50. Are you just as committed to the team?
I'm just as committed. I just don't get as upset after losses like I used to. When you come home and your little girls give you a kiss and hug, it kind of makes you forget everything else. So I've kind of mellowed out in terms of after games, but haven't really mellowed out in terms of in-games – maybe a little bit, just because I'm used to seeing everything now.
That's kind of my outlet. There's real-world, and then there's basketball in terms of the 48 minutes during the game. And then there's real world the rest of the time.
Years ago, Donald Carter told me that one of the primary reasons he eventually sold the team is he was worried about the impact on his grandkids, that perhaps they would lose a sense of reality. Do you foresee owning this team into the future?
It's the same thing I've always said: Unless the league does something so stupid – or at least stupid to me; maybe smart to them – that I can't deal with, then I don't see any reason why my kids and grandkids and their grandkids can't own it.
Cuban: I am still very upset about the hair crack.
Corningstone: Well, I'm sorry, Mr Cuban, but I had to get you to stop acting like a child and answer my questions for the readers in San Diego.
Cuban: Go fuck yourself, San Diego.