I’m not real good at math. But by my estimate $25,000 to Mark Cuban is like two pennies to you and me.
Add that to the fact that he just doesn’t care much for rules and – presto – the Mavs’ owner couldn’t help but publicly gloat about his team’s free-agent signings before the NBA said it was legal to do so.
Cuban went on local radio here in DFW on Friday to laud and detail the pick-ups of DeAndre Jordan and Wesley Matthews, and the league office today fined him $25,000 for doing so. Why?
Because while players and agents are permitted to discuss their new contracts and new teams, teams – i.e., owners – are prohibited from doing so until Thursday. That’s when the NBA’s 2016 salary cap will be set and announced, and when teams can officially sign free agents to contracts.
It’s preposterous, of course. Cuban sending his fans into the holiday weekend on a high will in no way get his team an advantage nor affect the looming cap figures. I don’t get it. But it is a rule, and Cuban broke it.
Now, let’s all dig up two pennies and shrug in unison.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
