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Friday, September 02, 2005
Sayson: Mark Cuban goes 1-on-1 with Homer
By Homer Sayson
Second Overtime
CHICAGO – Flamboyant-billionaire Mark Cuban has it all: Boyish good looks, a lovely bride, and more money than God. And that’s probably why the Dallas Mavericks owner is also a certified Mr. Nice Guy.
Two days ago, I called the Dallas front office hoping for an interview with the biggest Mav of them all. I was patched through a certain Tiffany, who quickly gave me Cuban’s e-mail address and explained that her boss doesn’t usually entertain phone interviews.
I was, however, told that Cuban is exceptionally prompt in replying to his e-mail messages. The assurance wasn’t an empty promise, and my e-mailed request for an interview was acted upon very expeditiously, from Tiffany’s lips to Cuban’s ears it seemed.
“You can e-mail me? Be happy to try to answer. Thanks,” Cuban wrote.
Like a blinding Dallas fastbreak, I swiftly e-mailed Mr. Cuban and the following is Sun.Star Cebu’s exclusive interview with the super Maverick:
SSC: With Doug Christie shoring up the perimeter D, Erick Dampier flexing his might in the paint, and Dirk Nowitzki as spectacular as ever, is this the year the Mavs will win it all?
Mark Cuban: “I hope so, but I never make predictions.”
SSC: Steve Nash lit up the Mavs for 30.3 points and 12 assists per game in last May’s Western Conference semifinals, any regrets not re-signing him? And how much did it hurt for a former Mav to inflict so much damage against your team?
Mark Cuban: “I would do the same thing again.”
SSC: Was waving Michael Finley an entirely business decision? Or, did you think his productivity had diminished at age 32, not to mention his nagging injuries?
Mark Cuban: “It was purely business.”
SSC: Have you kept track of how much the NBA has fined you? Has the league been fair in slapping you with fines that are more than the national debt of Brazil?
Mark Cuban: “I lost count.”
SSC: If they aren’t cut from the same cloth, how different is Avery Johnson from coach Don Nelson?
Mark Cuban: “Night and day. Nellie is a match-up guy. AJ is about the system.”
SSC: Besides your ridiculously talented Mavs, who are the teams to beat in the rugged West?
Mark Cuban: “The Spurs.”
THANKS. “Brevity is the soul of wit,” so said the immortal William Shakespeare. In this instance, however, I wish there was some length to Cuban’s answers.
It would have been nice if he had elaborated on his refusal to retain Steve Nash for $65 million in the summer of 2004. He could have been really good in assessing the West Conference, and it would have been wonderful if Cuban revealed his feelings on the $1 million plus fines, which the NBA has so far levied him.
Still, we have no right to complain. The very fact that Cuban put aside some of his unfathomably precious time to accommodate us speaks volumes of his dedication as an NBA owner, and his character as a human being.
For that, Sun.Star Cebu and yours truly is forever grateful.
P.S. Thanks to Cuban’s bottomless resources and his desire to create an atmosphere conducive to success, the Mavs’ 8,000-square-foot locker rooms at the American Airlines Center in Dallas are easily the best in the whole NBA.
Each locker room, reports SI.com, is equipped with a built-in 13-inch TV with satellite, a stereo system, a DVD-CD player, and a PlayStation 2, plus a $400 Senheiser headphone. The Mavs also have a customized equipment room, a poolroom, etc.
I asked Cuban about the possibility of touring the Mavs lair, and he wrote: “Just let me know when.”
On a personal note, I told Cuban that my nephew Karl is crazy over Nowitzki. I inquired how to go about the process of getting Nowitzki sign his jersey for Karl. Cuban replied, “You have to come to the game early and get lucky.”
Hopefully, this coming season, I’ll go to visit the Mavs in Dallas. And while the planned trip will be for official business, I’ll also try to get lucky, for Karl’s sake.
(homsay@hotmail.com)
(September 2, 2005 issue)
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