Category: In the News

Cuban questions Lakers moves

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has never been one to keep his mouth shut. His latest target? The Lakers, whose acquisitions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash .

Indeed, he went so far as to compare their latest revamping to the one they executed in 2003, which ended in disaster with a loss to the Pistons in the Finals.

“The Lakers have done this before. Gary Payton and Karl Malone and Kobe and Shaq were all together, and it didn’t work,” he said Monday in a gathering of the media and season-ticket holders. “It takes great chemistry. … It takes guys wanting to be there. I don’t know if all their guys want to be there.”

Of course, everything Cuban is saying is true in the sense that basketball games are won on the court, not on paper. And you can guarantee that the Spurs are thinking pretty much the same thing. They just probably aren’t going to draw any attention to themselves by sharing their opinion publicly.

But then, keeping things to himself has never been Cuban’s strong suit, has it?

Q&A with…Gregg Popovich

Air Alamo’s is in the ballpark when he calls Gregg Popovich the most fascinating coach in the NBA.

At the very least he’s unique. Undeniably blue-collar, yet able to appreciate the delights of fine wine and duck fritte. A no-nonsense type who delights in tormenting the media with terse answers and wordless stares, but funny and engaging when he chooses to open up.

Popovich did exactly that in this with Spurs.com. The basketball stuff is fine — thoughts on Patty Mills, the Spurs’ Olympic contingent and Tony Parker’s coachability — but the personal details are way, way more interesting.

Such as his preference for summer reading (biographies of Stalin and Putin) and his inspiring advice for aspiring coaches: Buy a coat and a tie, and get a job.

Most helpful of all was Popovich’s disclosure that he counts Led Zeppelin among his favorite bands.  And now I know, whenever I get the inevitable Death Stares this season, that I can attempt to assuage him with the offering that I, too, love the Hammer of the Gods.

In Pop’s honor, enjoy.

Cuban questions Lakers moves

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has never been one to keep his mouth shut. His latest target? The Lakers, whose acquisitions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash .

Indeed, he went so far as to compare their latest revamping to the one they executed in 2003, which ended in disaster with a loss to the Pistons in the Finals.

“The Lakers have done this before. Gary Payton and Karl Malone and Kobe and Shaq were all together, and it didn’t work,” he said Monday in a gathering of the media and season-ticket holders. “It takes great chemistry. … It takes guys wanting to be there. I don’t know if all their guys want to be there.”

Of course, everything Cuban is saying is true in the sense that basketball games are won on the court, not on paper. And you can guarantee that the Spurs are thinking pretty much the same thing. They just probably aren’t going to draw any attention to themselves by sharing their opinion publicly.

But then, keeping things to himself has never been Cuban’s strong suit, has it?