| An Interview With Mark Cuban Authored by Andrew Perna - October 13, 2006 - 12:12 am
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AP: Everyone seems to have voiced their opinion, so what do you think about the NBA’s new game ball?
MC: No question it’s harder to use than the old ball. Shooting with an NBA ball was always a plus five percent compared to any other ball. With that said, I understand why the league made the move. I just think they could have done more testing. For fun, I asked a physics professor to test it dry and wet and see how it differs in different settings, bounce from floor, from rim, etc.
Not sure if I will share the results or not. But it will be fun to see.
AP: How important do you feel it is for the Mavericks to re-sign Josh Howard, whether it be in-season or next summer?
MC: Well, we always like to keep our players…
AP: You worked with Pacer management (Larry Bird and Donnie Walsh) on two trades this summer, what do you expect from Austin Croshere and Anthony Johnson?
MC: We expect toughness and playoff readiness. AC [Croshere] can create match-up problems, grab rebounds, hit the three, and defend. Most importantly, he can give Dirk some time to rest. AJ [Johnson] gives us a great mix with Jason Terry and Devin Harris. Don’t be surprised if we go with an all quick lineup of AJ, Terry, Harris, Howard and Dirk at the 5. If you don’t have a center that can score, that’s going to be a tough lineup to defend.
AP: Having worked with Walsh and Bird, how do you feel they’d handled the drama they’ve endured in recent years?
MC: Donnie [Nelson] really did the deals with them, so I couldn’t say...
AP: What was your reaction to the most recent incident outside a strip club in downtown Indianapolis, which involved former Maverick Marquis Daniels?
MC: Marquis is a good guy. I’m sure he was trying to fit in and found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time.
AP: How much of a role do you see rookie Maurice Ager having this year?
MC: That’s up to AJ, but I know ‘Agerbomb’ is going to work hard on both sides of the court to get his minutes.
AP: Can you name the top ten players in the league today, in your opinion?
MC: Nope. That’s a no win.
AP: Can former Maverick Steve Nash win his third-straight MVP?
MC: I hope he does. Steve is a great guy. He can have the trophies, we want the rings.
AP: You’ve nearly single-handedly turned the Dallas franchise around, what can you attribute to the team’s recent success?
MC: Dirk’s emergence as a superstar and an organizational focus on doing whatever it takes to win. So many of the things we started when I came in, development coaches, advanced video, specialty coaches like a free throw guy, a sports psychologist. Having meals prepared after games and practice for better nutrition, a nutritionist, advanced medical exams, so many things have been absorbed around the league and are now common. When I got here people laughed at us having so many coaches.
AP: Your management style was unorthodox when you first entered the NBA, do you think your style has influenced other owners?
MC: No question. We all copy successful patterns from other teams
AP: What’s the greatest part about being Mark Cuban?
MC: Everything. When I die, I want to come back as me.
Check out Mark Cuban’s blog at www.BlogMaverick.com. Andrew Perna can be reached at Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. |
