I am sure this is not how Mark Cuban envisioned his grand spectacle celebrating a championship. It was supposed to happen at the beginning of November against a young Bulls team. It was not supposed to happen Christmas Day against the team they defeated for the championship.
Talk about spitting in the Devil’s face or kicking a team when it is down.
Maybe that has something to do with Mark Cuban’s latest controversial decision. Or maybe it doesn’t and that is just a storyline the media can manufacture.
Whatever it is, the Mavericks will open the NBA season on Christmas Day against the Heat with a shiny new banner ready to be raised into the rafters. But they will not add any insult to injury. They will not get their rings along with any other gifts Mark Cuban puts beneath their tree in the American Airlines Center locker room.
Jason Terry believes it is so Cuban can get together with Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd and Jason Terry to help design the championship rings and have them made. Remember, Cuban has not had contact with his players to come up with ring designs or any other type of crazy ring replacement Cuban has cooked up during the lockout.
Terry is still pretty happy that the season will open up with the banner raising and the Heat in town. He said it will bring home a lot of good memories. And, even without the rings, it is going to be a special day for the Mavericks.
Cuban promised something special for the Mavericks rings, saying he would not go traditional although the players convinced him to stick with rings rather than something new. It figures Cuban wanted to get together with the team’s veterans to create something special to celebrate Dallas’ long-awaited first NBA championship.
Of course, it won’t be a lot of good memories for the Heat. I am sure they will be seething as they watch the Mavericks raise the banner that escaped the Heat’s grasp. Everyone is expecting a better Miami team in year two, and the shorter season might enable superstars like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to dominate even more. And surely the emotions of being back in Dallas to watch Dallas celebrate a championship for the first time, will not make Miami very happy either.
Maybe it is a good thing Cuban elected to have the ring ceremony on a separate night. Even if it is time to move on and focus on 2012.
