Photo: Steve Dykes - Getty Images
- Troy BallardMark Cuban has serious cajones. That's the best way of saying it.
The dude is one of few owners that would be willing to sacrifice everything (including self image), to help push his team to victory. His methods are highly criticized in many professional circles, while others say he is a revolutionary to the definition of team ownership.
Cuban's radical and reckless ownership style has reflected two extremes in recent memory — an NBA Championship and a total collapse.
Ok, the latter may be slightly premature, but Dallas is going quickly down that road with little resistance in the other direction.
The events that unfolded after the Mavs' won the championship sequenced in a way that led to an unraveling of the core of the team and a last-ditch desperation effort to save what could have been.
And Cuban's to blame.
It all started with the allure of bringing the Triple D's to Dallas. The possibility of reeling in Dwight Howard and Deron Williams in free agency to pair with Dirk Nowitzki had Cuban foaming at the mouth. The idea was so tempting he allowed players like Tyson Chandler and Jason Terry to walk without any real effort to re-sign them.
All in the name of making a super team that could rival the one in Miami.
The business background that Cuban formed his career on had him blinded by dollar signs and potential for multiple championships. He had the idea of making the Mavs' the NBA's next greatest super power — and he put everything on the line to obtain it.
Cuban busted. Totally.
He went to Vegas and lost everything he came with, including the shirt on his back.
Howard is stuck in Orlando after making the poor choice of signing his one-year option, and the Magic are playing tough to get. Realistically, Dallas has nothing to offer for Howard, making any chance of landing the big man totally off the table.
Then Williams, who was thought to be extremely interested in going back to his home town, decided to stay in Brooklyn and roll with the newest venture in the NBA. The Nets pulled the rug out from under Cuban by making multiple moves to improve the team, allowing Williams to double-think his choice of going to Dallas.
Now, the Mavs' are looking down the barrel of an aging roster with only one player that is going to be consistent next season. This team went from NBA Champs to likely struggling to make a playoff appearance in 2012. All in the name of landing two superstars.
Lesson learned. That's about the only thing that Cuban and Mavs' nation still has left.
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