In my Maverics – Pistons recap post I mentioned that Mark Cuban stood up in the closing minute of the game, faced the Pistons crowd and hollered, “Western Conference Defense,” Mason style. You know me, I took offense to that, for the simple fact that teams like The Cavs openly mock the Deeetroit Baskeballl chant, when they do nothing but mimic everything the Pistons do.
Pistons fans didn’t like it either. They even went so far as to bash Mr. Cuban in the comments section of the post. To my surprise Mark himself commented back and explained the reason why he did what he did.
“Despite all the love I’m getting on the blog comments, let me explain my “taunting”
first, let me say I’m a huge Sheed fan and he knows it. So i check out this blog now and then
2nd. I did say “western conference defense ” to the crowd. And if you do see a video of it, you will see they were all laughing. Why ?
because a big chunk of the game, the guys behind me, someone said it was the Mayor, were yelling at us ” Eastern Conference Defense” when the Pistons would get a big stop.Which we all took as fun. And when we got the stop to end the game, i said the same thing back.
Thats what makes the games fun.
And for those of you who think an owner should just sit in a box. Feel free to buy a team and do just that.
Me, I love the NBA and the Mavs and its a whole lot more fun getting in to the games.
m”
Some might not think this comment was made by Mark himself, but I have to believe that this one is legit. There have been many comments on this blog that people have made claiming to be someone they are not and when you read them you can tell. But this legitimately sounds like Mark wrote it himself.
Now that I have the whole story I have a different take on the matter. I’m not really angry anymore and if it were me, I probably would have done the same thing. Heck, I have done much worse when it comes to showing my team spirit at a Pistons game. I am still a bit shocked at what I did as Reggie Miller was walking off the court right in front of me when The Pistons beat the Pacers to win the ECC on their way to winning the NBA Championship in 2004, but that is a story for a different time.
I happen to like Mark Cuban, always have. Why? He is a fan. A fan like you and me, but with the best access you can get to your favorite team. And if I were in his place I would act just like him. Hell, I do enough for the Pistons and I don’t have anything to do with the team. Could you imagine if I owned them. I would be Cuban squared. Now that’s a scary thing.
Mr. Cuban, if you end up reading this drop me an email, it would be an honor. I will even go as far as to invite you to a Finals game and let you see where the real fans, like yourself, sit every night.
UPDATE: I just got an email from Mr. Cuban…. The comment was legit.
Cuban is one of the only team owners I hear being really vocal about the state of officiating in the NBA (you here at NeedForSheed know all too well what I’m referring to here). If all owners had his level of passion and love for the sport, the league would be a better place.
Thanks for re-posting this Natalie.
good stuff. I used to hate the man but always had respect for him. Now He is my only voice for Stern. He says to him what i want to say. So for that, and they way he looks out for his players, I have grown to appreciate. I am pretty sure the talk about how he told Stern the NBA is rigged is true. Even though he denied it. I just can’t wait til his ownership days are over cause I will be 1st in line for his tell all book.
i wonder if m cuban would vote for the free sheed thingy maybe he could pull some strings to easen up the tech slinging refs
Very well done. A true fan of the sport you are.
I find it very hard to believe that cuban is a huge sheed fan or at least that sheed would care to have cuban as a fan
but if he still has good things to say about him after the comments sheed made about an mvp candidate needing to be someone who can play defense then maybe he is a true fan. cause that is defeniantly a sheed comment.
I was the person who wrote the first comment about mark and now reading what you have posted I guess I will take back what I wrote. You never really think of the owners being big fans you see them as business people and think that is how one how conduct themselves. I guess I am the same kinda of fan I get excited when the pistons play, talk about it all day and when they win I tell everyone and when someone puts then down I will fire off about a millon reasons why I feel tehy are the best time in the NBA. I guess Mark is just the same and well at least he is a human and a fan and coming from a fan I can understand his actions. Again the reason for my feelings at first were because until reading that I never really seen him as one, I merely seen him as a owner angry his team lost and in this case his team one and I seen it as him mocking our team who is a good defenive team.
I guess by reading the comment he said it was westren conference defence and not dallas defence so I can say my comment should have been he was just saying that the west can play defence as well not just go there and out score a team.
Mark if you do read this I am sorry for my earlier comment and I can now say even know I view you as an owner I now respect the passion you have for this game and your team it is the same passion every ture fan has for their team.
Natalie, the question I have after reading this is what did you do to Reggie as he was walking off the court?
I second what Taylor asked! Dying to know.
well im also a huge pistons fan and 2 years ago my cousin took me to a pistons game for my 16th birthday. Her grandfather always got second row seats behind the pistons bench and it was a lot of fun. The game we attended was on march 28th and they played the mavericks. I was seated behind the mavericks bench probably an hour before tip-off trying to see if i could maybe get a few autographs to take home. It was a small group of maybe 15 of us seated in this spot. Mr. Cuban was seated on the bench when someone yelled his name. He happily came over and took a few seconds to talk to each person and sign an autograph for everyone. I can honestly say he was one of the nicest guys i have met, he was great to everyone and we all had a blast. The pistons ended up losing the game but with about 30 seconds left on the clock i yelled down to mcdyess(now one of my favorite players, you’ll see why) and asked him if i could have his wristband and he took it off and threw it to me. He is another one of the truly great guys in the league and both of these gestures were very greatly appreciated by both myself and my cousin. It was a great overall experience.
Why would Mark Cuban scream Western Conference defense for
1. They lost to the Miami Heat( A eastern confernce team), that beat them in the championship last year.
and 2. The pistons beat them this season in there own court in dallas. 3. Chauncy Billups did not even play against the game they lost to the mavs, due to the injury.
A LOT OF TALK AND NO WALK FOR A BIG MOUTH MARK CUBAN! WHAT A FREAKIN LOSER!
Can you please tell us what happened with reggie miller?
Lets just say that he was about 3 feet in front of me and I had a few choice words for him along with a very unlady-like gesture.
I’m not proud of it, but it happened.
Nat, a while ago (i think when you were gone for a few days and joey d was takin over?? could be wrong) someone posted a coment (which i cant find) acting like they were chauncey. i actually believe it was him because it sounded like something he would say? did you ever go across it and read it by any chance?? and i think he said super dupe or dyess told him about the site. i hope you take a look at it.. cause it was so believable to me.
I have to give respect to Cuban for at least explaining why he was doing it. Also, he could of bashed on the Pistons in that blog post he made a couple stories back, but didn’t.
Wow, an NBA team owner posting on the site. Pretty cool Natalie.
Cuban is the man. BY HIMSELF he’s enough to get me to like the Mavericks. I’m Pistons for life, but an owner like that will ALWAYS have his team in contention, and he tells it like it is. How many owners, in ANY sport, can say that? Most owners are just crotchety old men, Christ, the Ford family is worthless as owners. I blame them for Barry Sanders retiring. El Cubano is right up there with the owner of the Patriots (whose name escapes me at present), class, intelligence and a winning spirit. Cuban is great for basketball, period.
“Anonymous said…
That wasn’t no fingertip dunk man, that was a throw down. Hey yall better calm down slating my dunks, i get enough from Sheed. I like the site here, Super Dupe was telling me about it, and i’m working on that 3 ball just been on a cold streak.
3:42 PM “
^^thats the comment that was supposedly from chauncey.. it was against the nuggets when chauncey dunked and sheed made fun of his dunk..
i dunno tho.. i still dont think thats him
BUTTTTTTTT that would be GREAT if it was !! Chauncey and rip are toooo fine :]]]
thanx Anonymous 7:17
i couldnt find it!
Nat, did you ever come across it?
I saw it Jessica, I personally don’t think it’s Chauncey.
How do you know it was legit? What if it was a fake e-mail address? I’m just saying, what kind of NBA TEAM OWNER has the time to leave a blog on a website devoted to the enemy? And if it was really him, I think his franchize needs to give him more work to do.
P.S. I love how everyone was bashing the hell out of him after hearing he said that to the crowd and now everyone’s saying they love him and respect him. Me, I’m not that forgiving…
I saw the comment that next morning and posted a couple after it. I also posted one of the not so nice comments about him earlier, not understanding what happened.
I can say that last year, against Miami, I was a HUGE Mavs and Cuban fan. I love most the fact that he challenges Stern, who I think has had it out for the Pistons for quite some time because they play like a team and take care of business without the showboating that brings him in the $$$. I also loved his comment about Phil Jackson last season and the fact that he calls out the refs on their inconsistencies, especially with letting the superstars get away with murder.
So, if for some reason the Pistons do not make it and the Mavs do (heaven forbid), I will probably be rooting for them again and hoping that MC stirs up some controversy not directed at our boys.
Trust me Amanda it’s legit.
I wouldn’t have said it was had I not been 100% sure.
i hope it was chauncey…sounds like him..i wonder if he knows?
HEY, I HAVE AN IDEA!!
NEXT TIME YOU MEET A PLAYER OR LIKE GET A SIGNATURE, ASK IF THEY KNOW ABOUT IT!
-pistons_1
I trust Nat on this, but I wish he would post something on his Blog site to give further confirmation to the doubters. The site has gotten some notable publicity over the years, and I am sure more of the NBA’s finest check in on it from time to time, and probably even leave comments themselves.
that is soooooo cool!
I think owner’s should stay in the box. If they are down the on the floor, it makes the game seem like its real and not fixed. Anybody who watched Miami (aka Wade) shoot free throws to win a championship last year would know that.
“M” should buy a college team where david stern doesnt decide who wins, then he wouldn’t have to cry about officials everyday.
we as fans cry about the officials everyday, if I am not worng did we not say it was the refs calls during last yrs playoff for the reaason the pistons lost. And well lets watch the heat mavs game again and well there were some questionable calls if I would say so myself. I do not fault him for getting up set with the calls because well its the truth. I really feel that the NBA is fixed and well at least one person who has a bigger voice is stepping up. Stern is trying to make the NBA a place for babies to play safe. He has taken the part of the NBA that we all ove the defence I guess in a way to stop players from getting hurt but at least one person is stepping up and does not care what he thinks or has to say. I say you go mark keep it. I wish the mavs luck but not more than the pistons cause well I am a pistons fan all the way and we will be there in the end maybe even to face you.
Lets sewe some more eastern conf. defence vs west conf. defence in the end i have no doubt in my mind who will come out in the end, the east.
“Anonymous said…
Why would Mark Cuban scream Western Conference defense for”
then you listed 3 reasons why…
first the pistons cant say a word about choking you guys had a record kind of like our current record last year…and you guys couldnt make it to the finals… who beat you? the same team that beat us. And how many games have you won this year and you are in the LEASTERN confrence! please if the mavs played in the east we would have won 72+ with out breakinga sweat.
you just wish you had an owner like ours!
That is very cool that he’s participating in fan blogs. Just one more reason why he’s the best owner in sports.
my mom met mark cuban in the toronto airport a couple months ago when the mavs were playing the raptors. she was there to see her sick cousin. she said he was really nice. i like his fan interaction.
i think the nba is a shit league with a shit product. almost every game is kept close by the officials and then at the end they decide who should win and call it to that teams advantage. It takes a extremely high level of play to overcome these factors, such as the pistons of 2004.
miami was given a championship because it is a huge market which is just now with wade+championship will now be a ticket seller for the long term.
i wonder why the lottery order is not shown live on tv and rather in the back room? hmmmmm, maybe b/c its fixed. CLE gets hoemtown Lebron with a new owner the same season and stadiuM??? MJ gets the first pick after moving to WASH???
the league just fines those who speak out against the officiating by fining, rather than giving evidence to counter the claims.
the whole damn league is fixed, and nobody is going to be able to change it except for fans. by not watching. too bad there are no alternatives for pistons fans or any pro-ball fan to turn to.