Mark Cuban Comments on Rivalry with Clippers, DeAndre Jordan
DeAndre Jordan's free-agency saga birthed one of the NBA's newest rivalries, and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban gave the Los Angeles Clippers some bulletin-board material to work with prior to Thursday's meeting at Staples Center.
"You can change the owner, you can change the players but the Clippers are who they've been for the past 30 years," Cuban said Thursday, according to Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears.
"I don't give a s--t about the Clippers," Cuban added, per the Orange County Register's Dan Woike.
After the game, a 104-88 Clippers victory, Clippers head coach Doc Rivers responded, per Fox Sports' Jovan Buha: "That's so hurtful. I don't know what to do. (Laughs) We are the Clippers. That's all I'll say."
"He has my number," Clippers point guard Chris Paul added, per ESPN's Arash Markazi. "He used to call me all the time when he wanted me to come to Dallas."
Tensions between the Clippers and Mavericks cropped up after Jordan reneged on a verbal commitment with the Mavericks to sign a four-year max deal and return to Hollywood.
Following Jordan's controversial decision, Dallas pivoted in free agency and signed stud swingman Wesley Matthews to a four-year, $70 million deal before inking point guard Deron Williams to a two-year, $10 million contract.
With Jordan's change of heart a thing of the past, Cuban reiterated he hasn't communicated with the bouncy center.
"I haven't said a word to him," Cuban said, per ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon. "I haven't heard a word from him. There's no reason to."
The Clippers haven't been able to break through to the Western Conference Finals since Paul arrived in 2011, but they have qualified for the playoffs every season. Los Angeles has also won 50-plus games in three straight seasons after failing to crack 50 as a franchise prior to the 2012-13 campaign.
With Paul, Jordan, Blake Griffin and Paul Pierce comprising the Clippers' deepest squad in franchise history, they'll have a chance to boost the team's postseason profile. But in a loaded Western Conference, it won't necessarily be easy.
