Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is extremely passionate when it comes to his team. Cuban, who is known to say whatever is on his mind, can always be found behind the team bench cheering his team on and harassing refs. So when Cuban granted Derek Fisher his release to spend more time with his family and Fisher subsequently signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder, you knew that Cuban couldn’t be happy.
On Sunday Fisher and the Thunder made a visit to Dallas for a game against the Mavericks. Cuban made it clear that he would boo Derek Fisher any opportunity he got and he did.
Per The Dallas Morning News: “I’ll make a point not to see him. I’ll just boo him hopefully like everybody else,” said Cuban.
“When he hadn’t been picked up he called me multiple times asking for advice,” Cuban said. “So it wasn’t like we just called up his agent and said, would you like to come play for the Mavs? Are you interested? He was pitching me, calling me and emailing me, a lot.
“That kind of added to it, because I really tried to help him out. And then to have him pull this stuff … But it wasn’t his first time. Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, you know, I’m an idiot.”
Cuban added: “It’s not that he used me,” he said. “Look, my personality is to try to help somebody, particularly somebody that I thought one thing about. It didn’t turn out to be that way. I was just trying to be nice and help. Usually, when you help somebody, you expect some semblance of loyalty back. So when you don’t get it, it’s more disappointing.
I can assuredly understand why Cuban would feel upset and betrayed.
Perhaps Fisher just wanted another opportunity at a a championship ring.
There is something to be said about being loyal to someone who gives you an opportunity. But, basketball is a business. It appears Fisher just played his cards right to the detriment of Mark Cuban.