Yesterday, Nets guard Deron Williams made waves when he disclosed that Mark Cuban’s absence from his summer meeting with the Mavericks helped shape his decision to stay put. The point guard and his agent had a chance to speak with Mavs brass including coach Rick Carlisle and president Donnie Nelson, but was irked that the club’s owner was busy filming an episode of “Shark Tank” for ABC instead. Here’s Cuban’s response plus more out of Dallas..
- In an email to Howard Beck of the New York Times, Cuban quipped that he was “kind of surprised” by the remarks before adding, “I’m even more surprised that he didn’t say something to the effect of, ‘I am so excited about what the Nets did this summer. It wouldn’t have mattered what Cuban did.’“
- Before entering the NBA draft, Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki flirted with the idea of playing professionally in Spain for FC Barcelona, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Despite that, the big man says that he probably doesn’t see himself playing for Barcelona when his career is through.
- Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram isn’t buying Williams’ excuse for why he chose the Nets over the Mavericks. The point guard was quick to say that Brooklyn’s acquisition of Joe Johnson helped sway him back to the club and doesn’t buy that Cuban’s absence from their meeting had a bigger impact than that.