Fresh off handing Chandler Parsons $46 million, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban didn’t want him playing for Team USA, risking injury and, more importantly, putting his investment in harm’s way.
Go figure.
Here’s what Parsons had to say after he threw out the first pitch at a Texas Rangers game, via The Dallas Morning News‘ Michael Florek:
“He made that clear to me,” Parsons said. “He did. He’s great. If there’s any issue or any conversation that needs to be had I’m having it with Mark. … He obviously told me how he felt. He told the world how he felt about his guys playing for USA basketball. But at the same time he understood it was something that I was really passionate about and it was something that I really wanted to do.
“I think I got better going there and I got in shape. Just being able to play against those guys every single day, it’s not often that you get to learn and play and practice with those type of players every single day in the summertime.”
Cuban’s feelings are admittedly understandable. Doesn’t sound like he was a dick about either, so it’s difficult to knock the way he handled this situation. And even if you still want to, you really can’t.
This is to be expected from Cuban. He’s been extremely vocal about the well-being of players during international play.
Consider what he said last month shortly after Paul George suffered what will be a season-ruining compound leg fracture, per The Dallas Morning News‘ Eddie Sefko:
“I think it’s a bigger issue than star players,” Cuban said Saturday night. “We are being taken advantage of by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) and to a lesser extent FIBA (International Federal Basketball Association).
“We take on an inordinate amount of financial risk for little, if any, quantifiable gain. It’s like our guiding principle is to lose money on every game and make it up in volume. There is no logic to our position. (We) just hope we get value somewhere in the future.”
It’s a messy situation, one I’ve touched upon in detail previously, on the heels of commissioner Adam Silver’s comments. There’s no magic panacea here unfortunately. Any solution has its downside, however slim or significant.
The status quo, which, by and large, leaves the decision up to the players, is the best way to go. Is FIBA making out like a bandit? Absolutely. Its raking in money without paying NBA players—or players in general for that matter—or the owners they play for.
So of course Cuban doesn’t want his players participating—especially his biggest offseason acquisition. It would be weird if he fully endorsed it. I don’t recall any owner doing so. The Indiana Pacers’ statement regarding George backed Team USA basketball, but you don’t see owners and general managers coming out in full force, shouting their undying support of Team USA from the rooftops. It just doesn’t happen. Part of me—okay, all of me—truly believes Tom Thibodeau, who’s on Team USA’s coaching staff, winces every time Derrick Rose touches the ball.
Lucky for Cuban, then, that Parsons didn’t officially make the team.
Disaster that in all likelihood didn’t await Parsons was avoided.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
