Is Cuban serious?

[The Kizzy]

Cuban claims Nelson used inside info to beat Mavs in playoffs

By STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer
June 29, 2007

DALLAS (AP) -- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban claims in an ongoing dispute with his former coach that Don Nelson used "confidential information" to help the Golden State Warriors pull off a stunning first-round playoff victory.

That accusation is part of Cuban's response to an arbitration claim Nelson has filed against Cuban to get $6.5 million of deferred compensation, which Nelson said he is owed for his time with the Mavericks from 1997-2005.

"Don may know that (Dirk) Nowitzki likes to turn toward his left shoulder not his right shoulder, but we don't think that's a trade secret or confidential information," Nelson's attorney, John O'Connor, said by phone Friday from his San Francisco office. "Cuban apparently does."

Cuban didn't respond to e-mail Friday, when he had left hip replacement surgery. A team spokeswoman said the Mavericks had no comment about the arbitration case.

The Warriors became the first No. 8 seed to win a best-of-seven playoff series to knock out the top-seeded team, winning in six games. The stunning end to the Mavericks' season came a year after they made it to the NBA Finals, then lost in six games against Miami after taking a 2-0 series lead.

The counterclaim by Cuban, in which he also contends that Nelson violated a noncompete clause in his Dallas contract when he became Golden State's coach last summer, was first reported by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Friday.

Nelson's arbitration claim was filed May 1 after failed attempts to settle the dispute with Cuban. The claim was filed while the playoff series between the Warriors and Mavericks was still ongoing.

"Don is a bit embarrassed that he is part of this, and that people might think this was his idea," O'Connor said.

Nelson's contract with the Mavs included a clause that called for arbitration to settle any disputes.

A panel of retired judges will hear the case later this year, likely in October or November, after both sides have time for depositions and discovery. Any ruling by the arbitration panel is final and binding, without any right of appeal.

When he resigned as the Mavericks' coach in March 2005 and replaced by hand-picked successor Avery Johnson, Nelson still had a deal to remain a team consultant through 2011 for about $200,000 a year.

In Nelson's claim, he contends he was never paid a consultant fee and thus was free to take another job.

Cuban has said Nelson returned to coaching after repeatedly telling the billionaire that Dallas would be his last job.

The money Nelson is seeking stems from the days before Cuban owned the team, back when the Mavericks were draft lottery regulars and Nelson was hired as the general manager to clean up the mess. He overhauled the roster, made himself the coach and discovered how well the combination of Michael Finley, Steve Nash and Nowitzki worked.

The team became playoff regulars after Cuban bought the team in 2000 and injected money and enthusiasm. Nelson was his mentor early on, and they made for an entertaining tandem.

Nelson, whose 1,232 victories are the second-most in NBA history, returned last summer to the Warriors and led them to a 42-40 record, enough to earn a playoff spot on the last day of the regular season. Dallas was 67-15, but was 0-3 during the regular season against Golden State.

[Kramer]

cuban is a raging ass-clown

[vonkaar]

Uh... he's right?

Nellie had 2 years left on his original contract, which included a non-compete clause. He walked away from the contract and picked Avery as his successor. Cuban agreed to pay Nelson $200k a year for playing 'godfather' to the Mavs - while retired. He took a job for Golden State. Why would Mark continue to pay a coach (who walked out of a contract) $200k a year to coach AGAINST him? Don Nelson is pissed that he's not getting paid by two teams - who faced each other in a playoff series. He violated the non-compete clause of his original contract, and violated the premise of playing 'godfather' to Avery by taking a directly-competitive job with a rival team. Non-compete pretty clearly implies, "don't go and beat our asses in the playoffs with another team." Why the hell should Cuban PAY Nellie to beat us?

Cuban is completely in the right here. Insider information is EXACTLY THAT. Play this situation out in any other sport - or any other industry for that matter - and the 'business' wins. Say I'm a lawyer for a giant firm that's working on a giant lawsuit that we are about to file. I get burned out so I announce my retirement... the bosses agree to pay me a 'consultant fee' for the next 5 years. I then go work for a RIVAL company that then comes into direct confrontation with my original firm. I happen to know the case pretty fucking well, so I dismantle them in court. Should my original employers pay me that consulation fee, despite the fact that I just violated the original non-compete clause AND beat them in court?

Long-time trainer of boxer1 quits, coaches boxer2 to beat boxer1 and gets pissed at boxer1's team for not paying him to do so... Insider information? Yup!

Thousands of analogies can be created - Nellie is in the wrong in all of them.

And no, this isn't 'sore loser' or anything... This dispute was around LONG before the Warriors were even in playoff contention. Nellie takes the job at GS and Cuban stops paying him. There lies the dispute. He comes back and beats us in the playoffs, and all of the sudden the media pays MUCH more attention to the dispute.

Cuban wins.

[Kramer]

yeah, see your point, he certainly shouldn't get paid. being from houston, i have this inherent hatred for anything originating from dallas..