Dallas Mavericks (2011 NBA Champions)

[ScriptOhio]

Mavericks unveil statue of franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki

On the night of Dirk Nowitzki's final home game, Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban promised to have the "biggest, most badass statue ever" erected in front of the American Airlines Center to honor the legend.

"It's a promise that gives me joy to deliver on, because you earned it," Cuban told Nowitzki on Christmas morning, minutes before the nearly 24-foot-high statue was unveiled steps from the street renamed a few years ago as Nowitzki Way.

Entire article: https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35318247/mavericks-unveil-statue-franchise-legend-dirk-nowitzki

 

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[ScriptOhio]

Mark Cuban hints at freedom to pay luxury tax under new ownership, but the truth will likely be complicated

Cuban sold the Mavericks but will reportedly remain in control of basketball operations

www.cbssports.com

Mark Cuban hints at freedom to pay luxury tax under new ownership, but the truth will likely be complicated​

here is no officially accepted title for the head of basketball operations within a specific team. It used to be the general manager. More recently, teams have upgraded to president of basketball operations partially as a means of inflating titles and keeping promising young executives in place. Some front offices have nominal heads in one of those roles, but others in lesser or even consulting roles wield greater influence due to their relationship with ownership. No two front offices are identical. But the situation Mark Cuban has designed for himself is still among the strangest the NBA has ever seen.

Earlier this year, Cuban sold his majority stake in the Mavericks to Miriam Adelson. As part of the sale, Cuban will reportedly retain control over the team's basketball operations... except, according to Marc Stein, the sale agreement does not outline a specific role for Cuban, and Patrick Dumont will be the team's governor. Cuban himself addressed the sale on Wednesday and tried to explain why the unique arrangement makes sense. "They're not basketball people," Cuban said.

Of course, new owners rarely are. They still tend to want to bring in their own people to run their teams. For now, it appears as though Adelson and Dumont won't do so, and that was part of the logic behind the partnership. The Mavericks want to build a new arena and casino district. This is the domain of the Adelsons, who run the Sands corporation in Las Vegas, so a theoretical partnership with Cuban made plenty of sense. Yet this novel agreement raises questions no other team sale ever has. The simplest relates to money.

Cuban hinted that the Mavericks would be able to pay the luxury tax moving forward under Dumont and Adelson. "They basically said do what you gotta do, I want to win," Cuban said. But who exactly sets the budget here? What happens if Cuban wants to make a move that adds salary that the team's majority owners aren't interested in paying? Would Cuban have the freedom to operate with the sort of aggression that, say, Mat Ishbia has in Phoenix even though he isn't the one cutting the checks? In all likelihood, there's a line somewhere. There's a difference, after all, between paying the tax and reaching the level of largesse that the Warriors and Clippers have operated with over the past several years. That is especially true under the rules set forth by the new CBA.
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[ScriptOhio]

Luka dazzles with 73, tied for 4th in NBA history

In a game for the ages, Mavericks star Luka Doncic went off for an NBA season-best 73 points against the Hawks, tied for the fourth most in a game in league history.

www.espn.com

Mavs' Luka Doncic dazzles with 73, tied for 4th in NBA history​

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic had a night to remember Friday, lighting up State Farm Arena for a career-high 73 points in a 148-143 victory over the host Atlanta Hawks.

It marked the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, passing the 70-point performance by Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid on Monday against the San Antonio Spurs. It also tied Wilt Chamberlain and David Thompson for the fourth-highest output in NBA history. Chamberlain, who owns the NBA record with 100 points, also had a 78-point outing, while Kobe Bryant finished with 81 points on Jan. 22, 2006.

"Those names are special," Doncic said. "It's unbelievable."

All-Time Highest-Scoring Games​

Mavs star Luka Doncic scored a franchise-record 73 points Friday night against the Hawks, marking just the 15th 70-point game in NBA history.

YEAR	PLAYER	POINTS
1962	W. Chamberlain	100
2006	K. Bryant	81
1961	W. Chamberlain	78
Fri.	L. Doncic	73
1978	D. Thompson	73
1962	W. Chamberlain	73
1962	W. Chamberlain	73
1962	W. Chamberlain	72
2023	D. Lillard	71
2023	D. Mitchell	71
1994	D. Robinson	71
1960	E. Baylor	71
1963	W. Chamberlain	70
2017	D. Booker	70
2024	J. Embiid	70