So Wade popped off about Dirk....

[westkoast]

What is everyone's take on this?  Do you feel he was way off?  Do you feel he was correct but did not need to open his mouth?  Also, what was your take on Cuban's reply to Wade for Dirk?

I can't believe this didn't get a thread on it's own.  If only he was a Laker!

[msc]

I haven't hear about it ... where is it being reported ... I didn't see it ESPN or Sportsline ...

[Lurker]

It is an ongoing drama....(all paraphrased off the top of my head)

Earlier this year when Dallas played Miami Dirk said that Dallas gave Miami the title.  And Cuban as well as other Mavs have repeated this line.  A couple weeks ago Wade fired back by saying that if Dirk were half the leader he thought he was he wouldn't have disappeared in the 4th quarter of the finals.  Now Cuban has jumped in and said that Wade has no business addressing anyone's leadership skills and they only won because Wade was given preferential treatment by the refs.


My take...Dirk has bought into Cuban's thought process that everyone is out to get the Mavs and that they only lose because of others.  There can be no accepting of responsibility.  The main reason I didn't start a thread earlier is because I hate to give Cuban any thought than is absolutely necessary.  More and more I am thinking that Cuban is not good for the league and should be suspended for a while.

[westkoast]

Lurker but do you think the Mavs kind of shot themselves in the foot?  IMO they did.  Which is why I somewhat agree with what Wade said.  I just don't agree how he went about saying it.  To me it was a little bit arrogant for him to say it in that fashion.  Dirk choking def is a big reason why Dallas lost.  The other reason is of course their inability to stop Wade.   Everyone feels when they lose it was because of something they did (or did not) do.  Dirk didn't take a cheap shot at Wade so I don't feel Wade needed to take his.

Cuban?  He is a moron.  He was taking shots at Wade's leadership skills in a sarcastic manner.  Wade doesn't need to respond to that in any other fashion then flashing the ring.  He is the reason they won.  He lead his team to the championship.  What more is there to say to Cuban?

If this was another player I think this thread would be 5 pages deep!

[westkoast]

After the Heat practiced Thursday at Quicken Loans Arena, Wade was asked if he believes players are ultimately remembered for what they do at the end of games. Wade, who usually is selective and subtle with his criticisms of opposing players, took the opportunity to take a jab at Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, who has failed to give the Heat credit for beating the Mavericks in the Finals last season.

"At the end of the day," Wade said, "you're remembered for what you did at the end.... I think that's the reason -- Dirk says they gave us the championship last year, but he's the reason they lost the championship, because he wasn't the leader that he's supposed to be in the closing moments. That's because of great defense by us, but also he wasn't assertive enough as a leader's supposed to be."

Source: Miami Herald 

That was Wade's comment....

[rickortreat]

I love how everyone talks about other players but is very thin-skinned when it comes to themselves.

I half agree with Wade.  Dirk should have come up bigger, but the real failures were Jason Terry, Stackhouse and the others, not only in their inability to deal with Wade, but their unwillingness to get involved on the offense and share some of the load.

Cuban is just trying to protect his player, which is his right as owner of the Mavericks.  Personally, I think Cuban is great for the league and a bit of entertainment as well.  He lets everything hang out, and doesn't care what you think.  I really think he is a straight shooter, even if some of his behavior crosses the line of what is appropriate.

Dirk probably didn't want to be drawn any further into this, so it's to his advantage that Cuban spoke up.

And, of course Wade didn't need to do anything except smile and admire his Championship Ring.  WHO CARES WHAT PEOPLE SAY AFTER THE FACT?

IMO, Dallas blew it and Miami deserved to win.  Wade was the player that put Miami over the top, he is entitled to some respect for that.  He really is an amazing young player and an incredible talent.

But he had no business criticizing another player like that, and it showed poor sportsmanship on his part.  Wade's saying that diminished my view of him.

The most important thing is, that was LAST YEAR!  What's important is what happens this year.  Miami is going to have a very tough time repeating with the start to the year they've had.  In the meantime Dallas, in the tougher conference has the best record and has demonstrated they are the team to beat in the West.

[Lurker]

I think it should be made clear that Wade only responded after several comments by the Mavs organization.  Maybe not the best response but to be constantly told in the media that Dallas gave the championship pushed this youngster over the edge (so to speak).

[Lurker]

A good summary from one of the SA sports writers....

Buck Harvey: Blog open, Cuban back as the unifier

Web Posted: 02/10/2007 11:56 PM CST
San Antonio Express-News

Mark Cuban brings people together. He does today, when the Spurs play the Heat.
Cuban went after Dwyane Wade last week the way Cuban once went after Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen and an "ugly-ass" river. As a Los Angeles Times reporter wrote last spring, Cuban turns whoever plays the Mavericks into America's Team.

It won't mean anything today. But it will this spring if Cuban yaps and the Mavericks wonder again if their boss has done too good of a job of unifying the world.

Is he the only reason the Mavericks can't win the title?

Cuban likely isn't enough to derail Dallas. After Dwight Howard soared over Tim Duncan on Friday night, the Mavericks took an eight-game lead in the division. The last time the Spurs faced this kind of hole, Duncan was a college kid.

But most thought the same was true last June. Then, the Mavericks had more talent but folded against Miami, with Cuban screaming at the refs and league officials from the bench and from the hallways. Just days later, Dirk Nowitzki followed with a suggestion only a superstar can make.

Cuban, Nowitzki said, has to "learn to control himself as well as the players do. We can't lose our temper all the time on the court or off the court, and I think he's got to learn that, too."

Cuban had added to the chaos, as well as to the sense that the NBA was out to get the Mavericks. Cuban set a tone that said, in effect, his players were victims, and that goes against what Avery Johnson and other coaches believe in: Instead of blaming others when things go wrong, take responsibility.

Some of it is still in place. The Mavericks continue to give little credit to the Heat, and Cuban entered into the debate in January. "It might hurt less if we had lost to a better team," he said then. "But we didn't."

Most of the Mavericks, including Nowitzki, have repeated that. Last week, it surfaced again, and Wade responded with a surprisingly harsh statement.

"Dirk said they gave us the championship last year," Wade told Miami reporters. "But he's the reason they lost the championship, because he wasn't the leader he's supposed to be in the closing moments."

Wade isn't wrong. The better team is the one who wins a best-of-7 series.

Besides, numbers don't lie. In the three Finals games decided by three or fewer points, Wade scored a total of 46 points in the fourth quarters and overtimes. Nowitzki scored 19.

That said, does anyone remember Michael Jordan or Magic Johnson — or any of the Spurs — needing to say such things? The ring should say enough.

Nowitzki declined to respond. But Cuban, ever busy with his blog, couldn't resist. He tried to be funny, with a few lines about Wade's commercials, and sometimes he sounded angry. "You don't have a clue," he wrote to Wade.

Cuban also added his usual sarcasm. "You are an amazing player Dwayne," Cuban said, misspelling Wade's first name. "I love watching you shoot free throws."

That's classic Cuban, the relentless fan who admits to nothing. Just as he tried to turn Finley into a villain for taking Jason Terry's punch, he prefers to think Wade didn't earn any of his free throws. The refs, ever blind to justice, did this.

That's also classic Cuban, the promoter. Whether he's working the crowd or his blog, he has one undeniable gift. He demands attention, and Cuban created a similar storm last year in San Antonio. As he said was his intent then, he helped fuel a rivalry.

It's not all calculated. Sometimes, Cuban is simply a jerk. Cursing Bowen at courtside wasn't a publicity stunt, and neither was his venom in Miami.

But he's clearly brilliant, and his recent opinion on the future of newspapers is something the industry should read. After all, he already knows how to sell newspapers, as well as his league.

A blog entry is part of that. And when the playoffs start, perhaps Cuban will calm down as Nowitzki wants.

But there also are signs Cuban can't help himself, and today, on the same floor where the Mavericks came apart, is one. The Spurs and Heat have never been closer.
-----
bharvey@express-news.net 

[westkoast]

I think it should be made clear that Wade only responded after several comments by the Mavs organization.  Maybe not the best response but to be constantly told in the media that Dallas gave the championship pushed this youngster over the edge (so to speak).

None of those were pot shots though.  At least to my knowledge.  All teams feel when they lose that they did something or did not do something right.  Especially in the playoffs.  PHX said this last year.  I believe SA also made similar comments.

While Wade is right about what he said, I think it could have been said a little bit better.

[Laker Fan]

Nonsense, bravo to Wade for standing up and doing what everyone wants to do, take the crybaby whining Mavericks to task for their failure and lack of class!

Wade did NOTHING wrong by keeping quiet despite all the jibes and insults coming out of Dallas and the big German crybaby for as long as he did. He also did NOTHING wrong by finally saying what everyone else has already said or thought, Dirk's lack of leadership and classic Patrick Ewingesque choke down the stretch cost them last year, not the refs, Wade's ability to put the Heat on his back and pull out the victory put him head and shoulders above Dirk last year.

I find it brazenly hypocritical of you Rick (as if that is a surprise). or perhaps the kinder, gentler word would be "inconsistent" to say:
"Personally, I think Cuban is great for the league and a bit of entertainment as well.  He lets everything hang out, and doesn't care what you think.  I really think he is a straight shooter, even if some of his behavior crosses the line of what is appropriate."
And then, AS IF YOU HAD NO IDEA WHAT YOU JUST SAID, you post:
"But he had no business criticizing another player like that, and it showed poor sportsmanship on his part.  Wade's saying that diminished my view of him. "
You also state that Dirk probably did not want to be drawn any further into this, as if his previous statement that the Mavericks “gave Miami the championship” did not already put him square into the middle of it, and then he let’s the little bully that is Mark Cuban clean up his mess.
Question for you Rick, Why is Cuban utter lack of class and sportsmanship “great for the league and a bit of entertainment as well”, while Wade’s comment after months of Dallas and their punk owner deriding and diminishing Miami’s accomplishment is “poor sportsmanship on his part”, and his saying it, “diminished my view of him.”?
I can think of only ONE person on this board that make s less sense in every post then you did in this one.

Again, bravo to Wade for taking that little puke punk bully crybaby whine dog sissy Cuban to task, even though it was directed at his star player (deservedly so), it was a pretty direct shot and Cuban as well.

And if you think I am being hypocritical for applauding Wade while denigrating the Mavericks, particularly Dirk and their pathetic little man owner, consider this, Wade was quiet for nearly 9 months while these clowns peppered away, while Cuban blames EVERYONE else for his teams failings, while he insults Wade and the Heat by saying they lost to a lesser team because the refs gave it to them at the charity stripe, and then when he finally speaks up, he states a fact, and the numbers don’t lie, HUUUUUGE difference between the 2. Dirk and Cuban refuse to take responsibility for one of the most monumental chokes in NBA history and WADE SHOWS POOR SPORTSMANSHIP?!?!?! Give me a break!

I LOVED Wade’s comment and think he was spot on in his assessment.

[Lurker]

Nonsense, bravo to Wade for standing up and doing what everyone wants to do, take the crybaby whining Mavericks to task for their failure and lack of class!

Wade did NOTHING wrong by keeping quiet despite all the jibes and insults coming out of Dallas and the big German crybaby for as long as he did. He also did NOTHING wrong by finally saying what everyone else has already said or thought, Dirk's lack of leadership and classic Patrick Ewingesque choke down the stretch cost them last year, not the refs, Wade's ability to put the Heat on his back and pull out the victory put him head and shoulders above Dirk last year.

I find it brazenly hypocritical of you Rick (as if that is a surprise). or perhaps the kinder, gentler word would be "inconsistent" to say:
"Personally, I think Cuban is great for the league and a bit of entertainment as well.  He lets everything hang out, and doesn't care what you think.  I really think he is a straight shooter, even if some of his behavior crosses the line of what is appropriate."
And then, AS IF YOU HAD NO IDEA WHAT YOU JUST SAID, you post:
"But he had no business criticizing another player like that, and it showed poor sportsmanship on his part.  Wade's saying that diminished my view of him. "
You also state that Dirk probably did not want to be drawn any further into this, as if his previous statement that the Mavericks “gave Miami the championship” did not already put him square into the middle of it, and then he let’s the little bully that is Mark Cuban clean up his mess.
Question for you Rick, Why is Cuban utter lack of class and sportsmanship “great for the league and a bit of entertainment as well”, while Wade’s comment after months of Dallas and their punk owner deriding and diminishing Miami’s accomplishment is “poor sportsmanship on his part”, and his saying it, “diminished my view of him.”?
I can think of only ONE person on this board that make s less sense in every post then you did in this one.

Again, bravo to Wade for taking that little puke punk bully crybaby whine dog sissy Cuban to task, even though it was directed at his star player (deservedly so), it was a pretty direct shot and Cuban as well.

And if you think I am being hypocritical for applauding Wade while denigrating the Mavericks, particularly Dirk and their pathetic little man owner, consider this, Wade was quiet for nearly 9 months while these clowns peppered away, while Cuban blames EVERYONE else for his teams failings, while he insults Wade and the Heat by saying they lost to a lesser team because the refs gave it to them at the charity stripe, and then when he finally speaks up, he states a fact, and the numbers don’t lie, HUUUUUGE difference between the 2. Dirk and Cuban refuse to take responsibility for one of the most monumental chokes in NBA history and WADE SHOWS POOR SPORTSMANSHIP?!?!?! Give me a break!

I LOVED Wade’s comment and think he was spot on in his assessment.

Great post Dan!  You found the words I have been looking for.

[Rolando Blackman]

Hey Laker Fan!
   
As a Spurs-leaning NBA enthusiast (how's THAT for straddling the fence - LOL), I have to wonder how any Lakers fan can talk about another team not giving the opponent credit for defeating them...just think about Phil and the '*' championship by the 'Silver and Black' (BTW, a moniker that really should be avoided by Spurs fans, due to the association of that term with the Oakland (sound of lugy being hocked) Raiders (sound of lugy being hocked) in 1999.  Need I say more?
   
-RB
Shaq #1

[Laker Fan]

Hokey Smokes Rolando! Talk about painting people with a broad brush! Phil makes his "asterisk" comment and we all just fall in line with his belief like lemmings?

I for one thought he showed no class when he said it, (however valid a point it may have been  ) but as bad as Phil can get, no one comes close to Cuban for being a world class whimping little woman.

[Rolando Blackman]

Hey Laker Fan!
   
I agree that I used a industrial strength 'Power Painter' with that statement - but as a ex-hardcore Lakers fan myself, I am aware that most of the followers of the LAL that I know of embraced the '*' dis by Philco as the gospel truth.  You are the very first person I have ever heard of the LAL persuasion who said that they did not agree with it.  I have to state in honesty that prior to 2004, while I did not agree with the whole '*' thing, I thought it was a good way to kick some dirt in the Spurs' face to devalue their championship by Phil.  Tell me that it didn't work, Laker Fan...come on!
 
Nothing plays out like controversy - the blogosphere proves that.

   
-RB
Shaq #1

[jn]

What bothers me is the Cuban comment about how Miami was not the better team.  For me, that type of comment is just unbelievably childish and disrespectful.  I hate, hate, hate hearing people on a losing team use any variation on the phrase "We're still a better team."   

What's more, these comments are somewhat understandable when the come in the heat of the moment after a loss.   To be saying this 8 months later is pathetic.