Sports

Following Lockout, NBA Commissioner Booed at Mavs Opener

David Stern Booed on Christmas Day(AP) — NBA Commissioner David Stern opened his lockout-delayed season by hearing boos from Mavericks fans.

Stern was in Dallas for the NBA finals rematch between the Mavericks and Heat, and he was on the court for the start of the Mavs’ banner-raising ceremony honoring their first championship. The jeers came as soon as he started speaking, but he quickly turned them into cheers by offering his congratulations to team owner Mark Cuban.

Cuban‘s often contentious relationship with Stern could’ve been as much of a reason for the boos as the lockout, which pushed the opener from Nov. 1 to Christmas and cut the season by 16 games.

Cuban and Miami’s Micky Arison were among five owners who voted against the labor deal. Stern said “it doesn’t send any signal whatsoever” that the two owners in the most recent finals were against the agreement.

Stern said Arison only objected to the revenue sharing. He also pointed out that Cuban was part of the labor relations committee and the planning committee.

“(Cuban) might not have been enamored with the final outcome because it takes away the advantage that overspending can give you,” Stern said.

Stern also said he could have done a better job of explaining his reasons for blocking a proposed trade of Chris Paul from the league-owned Hornets to the Lakers, only to later agree to a deal that sent Paul to the Clippers. He said that “lost in the frenzy” over his action was the fact he quashed the deal in his role as the owners’ representative looking out for the best interests of the Hornets — not as the commissioner looking out for the best interests of the league as a whole.

“Our view was that the best thing was for New Orleans to be a young team,” he said.

Stern blamed himself for not clarifying that sooner.

“I don’t think it affected the integrity of the league,” he said. “I do think I could have done a better communications job. … It’s a job that, as the owners’ representative, I was stuck with. But I think that it was better to have me do it than a group of owners do it because I have the singular focus of doing what’s best.”

The booing Mavs fans may not have realized they had Stern to thank for getting Lamar Odom to Dallas. Odom was supposed to have been in the Lakers-Hornets deal; when he wasn’t, he was so upset that the club didn’t want him that he asked to be traded.

After the Dallas-Miami game, Stern was headed to Oklahoma City for the opener between the Thunder and Orlando. Magic star Dwight Howard is trying to force his way to the team of his preference, just like Paul did. Asked if that was bad for the league, Stern said it’s always happened, using Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain as examples.

Stern had compliments for another superstar he was about to watch, LeBron James.

“I see a level of acceptance and maturity,” Stern said. “He‘s clearly saying he might’ve said a few things differently, etcetera, and he’s going to let his talent do the talking. I think that‘s pretty exciting because he’s got some pretty exciting talent. So we‘re happy for him and we’re looking forward to how the season winds up.”

So, how does he expect the season to wind up?

“I said to Mark, ‘It’s ironic, the most underrated team in the league is the NBA champion,’” Stern said. “I think Dallas has a pretty good roster. … I said before last season, ‘I think we’re going to have to play the season. We’re not mailing the trophy to Miami.’ It turns out, we mailed it to Dallas. We’ll see what happens this year — but Miami really seems formidable with those three superstars.”

Comments (21)

  • chicago76
    Posted on December 26, 2011 at 6:15am

    I get the feeling the NBA pays people to go to their games. No wait, big corporations looking for tax right offs pay(free tickets) people to go to the games. Which means, since the big corporations are owned by wallstreet, and the banks control Wallstreet, and the government owns the banks, the government is paying people to watch the games, or we are paying them to watch pro basketball.

    Report Post »  
    • decendentof56
      Posted on December 26, 2011 at 7:04am

      I don’t know who would want to watch these thugs play the game.
      I haven’t researched it, but I’d bet that the NBA players that have been arrested rivals or beats the record of the NFL players.
      I don’t watch professional sports much now. I’ll still watch some Phillies games, but I’m less interested even in that.
      One of the reasons is what happened to St Louis fans. They win the WS, make a huge offer to Pujols, and still lose him.

      Report Post »  
  • 4X4in
    Posted on December 26, 2011 at 12:16am

    Stern should be booed, Sports fans are suckers!
    No arena in Sacramento with tax payer $ Mr. Stern booooooooooo!

    Report Post »  
  • MEANS2RESIST
    Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:26pm

    who in the hel* would go to an NBA game on Christmas day?

    Report Post » MEANS2RESIST  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:02pm

    If you are interested in basket ball, especially this season, you really neede to get a Life, a girlfriend or a Dog, or all three!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
    Posted on December 25, 2011 at 9:42pm

    That was the second time today he was booed, apparently his wife didn’t like the combination gold plated potato peeler/spatula, even though he had it engraved.

    Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:59pm

    Who cares..

    Report Post »  
  • lukerw
    Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:55pm

    If we just had to cut a Professional Sport… this would be it!

    Report Post » lukerw  
    • decendentof56
      Posted on December 26, 2011 at 6:54am

      LukerW…..
      I would agree with you. I lost interest after Wilt left Philly the second time to go to LA. At least I got to see first the Warriors, then the 76′ers, go at it with the Celts. Russell vs Chamberlain. You could cut the air….the atmosphere was that thick when they played. Two best players…two best teams.

      Nowdaze, who really cares? Now….what, (the sixers?) are such a minor part of the sports scene in Philadelphia that they nearly do not exist.

      Report Post »  
    • Rowgue
      Posted on December 26, 2011 at 5:56pm

      Basketball hasn’t been a professional sport in this country since the mid 60s. In it‘s current state it’s the equivalent of professional wrestling in it’s status as a sport. And that includes all levels from high school on up.

      Report Post »  
  • sunnyblack
    Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:44pm

    You should sort of give a damn and I’ll tell you why (and yes, overpaid children they are).

    In a nutshell the management of the LA Lakers and New Orleans Hornets worked to create a deal trading some players. The New Orleans Hornets are owned by the NBA (meaning, David Stern who is also the NBA commissioner). So Stern has two hats — one as the NBA commissioner and another as owner of one of the teams. If you said, ‘Isn’t that a conflict of interest?” You’d be absolutely correct.

    The parallel here is with the Obama administration picking winners and losers, and the federal government getting in bed with Solyndra, for example, when the government really shouldn’t stick its nose into these things.

    There was no real reason for Stern to veto the deal. It’s not really his place to do that except that he felt it was the fair thing to do. Not surprisingly, Stern is also a big contributor to the Democrat party. Just sayin’.

    Report Post »  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:04pm

      Point well taken. My question is who is copying the pattern from whom?

      Report Post » Stoic one  
  • Drakkhanlord
    Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:13pm

    who gives a flying fluck…overpaid children

    Report Post » Drakkhanlord  
    • singleparent
      Posted on December 25, 2011 at 8:21pm

      Perfectly said.

      Report Post »  
    • 1776freedomofspeech
      Posted on December 25, 2011 at 10:16pm

      Agreed

      Report Post » 1776freedomofspeech  
    • Spyder
      Posted on December 26, 2011 at 12:00pm

      Exactly why I dumped all professional Sports this year. Haven’t turned on a single NFL, MLB or NFL game all year. I’m tired of it all. There is no benefit to being a fan. At the end of game, I‘m no better off and I’m out money to pay some chump a fat salary for playing a game that means nothing.

      Back in the day, teams were a part of the city and there was pride that went along with it. Competition for more than just getting paid. Now it’s just a bunch of overpaid free-agents who have no loyalty to anything except getting money. (Not making money, because they make nothing and are merely another form of entertainment)

      And I can say, gladly, that I am much better off without any of it. I don‘t like ’Reality Shows‘ anyway and that’s all the sports have become with guns in the locker room, brawls on the court/field, celebrity marriage garbage like Odom or Humphries, and so on and so forth. The list goes on.

      DONE

      Report Post » Spyder  

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