On November 1, the Dallas Mavericks were supposed to have their banner night. Celebrations would be had. Memories would be shared. Good times had by all.
The crowning achievement for Mark Cuban, Dirk Nowitzki, Donnie Nelson and a host of other longtime Dallas Mavericks and their fans who had quietly dominated the NBA for a decade get their long overdue championship.
Of course, the team will not get another mass public celebration and their jewelry for the championship they won on November 1 thanks to the lockout. And maybe the warm feelings between the players and Mark Cuban will not be there.
Again, who knows when that will be or what the reaction to this celebration might be when it happens.
If this lockout really begins to threaten things, the Mavericks could hold a small ceremonial get-together to celebrate much like the Green Bay Packers did during the NFL lockout.
One thing we do know, Mark Cuban’s plans to do something different with the rings will not come true. Dallas will get their rings.
“I will get rings, but maybe not quite traditional in one way or another,” Cuban told Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
What a nontraditional ring is, both Sefko and I do not know. Maybe they will get one of those full fist rings that says Mavs all in diamonds. Of course, that makes things difficult if you win multiple titles. So back to the drawing board on that alternate ring idea that Cuban was thinking of.
I am sure Dallas will get some other goodies once the rings are passed out on opening night. It will be cathartic probably for the whole league for the owners and players to stand hand in hand and celebrating something.
The lockout so far has barred the players and team employees from even talking to each other — absent special permission from the commissioner to attend a few weddings earlier in the summer.
In all likelihood, it seems, once the rings are picked out and ready to be delivered, the Mavericks players will huddle in a back room at American Airlines Center and have a small get together under relaxed rules to pass out the hardware. That is what the Packers did with their Super Bowl rings this summer during the NFL lockout.
This would not be a good way to celebrate what was an amazing NBA season. Then again, neither is having a season-threatening lockout.
Photo via DayLife.com.
