NBA: Is Mark Cuban the Reason People Despise the Dallas Mavericks?

Whenever I hear someone mention "The Dallas Mavericks," two things come to mind: the Frankenstein-ish looking Dirk Nowitzki and the loud-mouth, constantly fined by the NBA, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban.

Dirk is ugly; let's just get that settled right now. My girlfriend absolutely adores him, but how anyone can adore somebody that ugly is beyond me. However, No. 41 is very talented too. In fact, in last Friday's game against the Trail Blazers, Nowitzki sunk 40 points, and in Saturday's game against the Kings, he sunk 39 and averages 25.1 points per game. So the lumbering 7' 0" PF is quite talented.

No, the reason I completely despise the Mavericks isn't due to Dirk's lack of attractiveness, but rather because of Mark Cuban's uncanny inability to keep his mouth shut.

Cuban's most recent fine was announced on Friday, Jan. 16, 2009, when the NBA demanded $25,000 from Cuban because he walked onto the court and yelled at Nuggets' guard J.R. Smith for throwing an elbow.

Really, Mark?

To date, Cuban has been fined 14 times for a grand total of $1.5 million.

Oh, and he's been suspended from three games, too. 

Perhaps Commissioner Stern should make every one of Cuban's fines $1.5 million? Maybe that way Cuban would actually get the message and keep his trap shut.

Probably the No. 1 reason why Mark Cuban has ruined any possible chance for me to like the Mavericks isn't so much the rate at which he gets fined, but it's the manner in which he does it and his responses to the fines.

Cuban's latest outburst saw him walk onto the court during halftime to inquire about an elbow Nuggets' guard J.R. Smith threw.

Mark, you're the owner of the Mavericks, not the Commissioner of the NBA, President Obama, or a referee. Simply put, you're no one.

What makes Cuban think he can traipse onto the court whenever he wants and accuse a player of a flagrant foul?

Isn't there any security surrounding the court?

Have you seen Cuban's behavior during Mavericks' games? He's in the huddle during timeouts, slapping his players on the behind, and pacing the court behind the Mavericks' bench like a rabid dog, waiting to explode at the next call that doesn't favor his Mavericks.

He reminds me of an over-grown six year old who throws a tantrum whenever something doesn't go his way.

Not only is Cuban breaking the NBA's rules, but the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) as well. On Nov. 17, 2008, Cuban was slapped with allegations of insider trading. Even though the case was dismissed by a federal judge on July 17, 2009, this goes to show that Cuban has a serious lack of respect for rules. 

If Mark Cuban really wants to help his Mavericks out, he can start by figuring out a way for his team to win a league championship. Dallas has no league championships. And although they've had 14 playoff appearances, three division championships, and one conference championship, they've never hoisted that gold basketball.

The Mavericks' foes, the San Antonio Spurs, have 37 playoff appearances, 15 division championships, four conference championships, and four league championships. The Spurs should be an example that Cuban should want to emulate.

Granted, Rick Carlisle has only been at the helm of the Mavericks for a little under two years, but I don't see things changing in the American Airlines Center unless Cuban can quit messing around and begin to take his ownership seriously.

So Mark, if you want to be taken seriously, and you want your beloved Mavericks to win more than a conference championship, here are a few things you have to do: sit down, shut up, don't walk on the court, and try to take being an owner a little more seriously.

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