“What an awful excuse” – NBA fans SLAM Mark Cuban for blaming Jalen Brunson’s father Rick for star’s exit in summer
Mark Cuban blames Jalen Brunson's family ties for his departure to the Knicks, NBA fans slam the excuse.
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Mark Cuban (image via Getty Images)
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is once again in the spotlight for his comments regarding the departure of Jalen Brunson from his team. Brunson, a fifth-year point guard who had a breakout postseason with the Mavericks last year, eventually signed a four-year, $104 million deal with the New York Knicks in the summer.
Cuban appeared to blame Brunson’s father Rick, who was hired as an assistant coach by the Mavericks just weeks before Jalen signed with the Knicks, and team president Leon Rose, who happens to be Brunson’s godfather and was previously his agent.
“Where it went south was when Rick took over, when the parent took over, or parents took over,” Cuban told Dallas media, according to ESPN’s Tim McMahon.
Cuban claims that the familial ties prevented the Mavericks from getting any sort of counteroffer in before Brunson agreed to move east. He also refuted the Brunsons’ claim that Jalen was willing to sign a $56 million extension with Dallas last season, sharing texts between agent Aaron Mintz and Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.
“There was no negotiation,” Cuban continued. “They didn’t give us a number. I mean, you would think that when you’re the incumbent team and you can match anything, that’s the way it works. Right? You have a relationship with the agent and they want to at least give you a chance because you helped develop the player. You had him for four years. OK, let’s work together.”
NBA Fans rip into Mark Cuban
NBA fans were quick to react to Cuban’s comments regarding Brunson’s departure, with many slamming the Mavericks owner for his excuse.
“What an awful excuse,” wrote one Twitter user. Blaming someone’s family ties for not getting a counteroffer is absurd. Cuban should have made a better effort to keep Brunson if he truly valued him.
Another fan wrote, “Is it also Rick’s fault that they’re gonna miss the playoffs cause they signed bum Kyrie??”
Despite the backlash, Cuban expressed a desire to keep Irving around despite the team’s struggles.
“I’d love to have him stay for sure,” Cuban said. “I’d love to have him. I want him to stay for sure, and I think we have a good shot. I think he’s happy here. He tells me he’s happy here, and I get along great with him. I think he’s a good guy. All I can tell you is everything I thought I knew about Kyrie because everything I read was 100 percent wrong.”
In case you missed it:
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Vivek Yadav
(624 Articles Published)