The NBA has told Dallas Mavericks guard Caron Butler that he needs to stop chewing straws during games.
Butler has had a habit of sitting on the bench and chewing on straws to help calm his nerves during games.
The guard said he first started doing it in high school and would sometimes go through 12 straws in a game.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said that the league is serious about the request because it is against the rules.
This seems to me to be one of the craziest things I’ve ever heard. Are they going to outlaw gum next?
Sunday, February 28, 2010 at 12:48 pm by steve
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban thinks the NBA All-Star game won’t be the last basketball game played at the Cowboys new football stadium.
Cuban said he is contemplating playing an occasional regular season game at the new stadium.
The owner said that it will allow the team to bring in twice as many fans and would be great for marketing the team.
He also thinks it could entice free agents to want to come and play for the Mavericks, who have sold out 341 straight games.
The idea is somewhat similar to what the NHL has done by playing games outdoors in baseball stadiums.
Friday, February 19, 2010 at 5:32 pm by steve
The Dallas Mavericks greatly improved their postseason chances by completing a seven-player trade with the Washington Wizards.
The Mavericks acquired former All-Star guard Caron Butler along with guard DeShawn Stevenson and center Brendan Haywood in exchange for forward Josh Howard and three other players.
The other three players given up by the Mavericks were former All-Star Drew Gooden, Quinton Ross and James Singleton.
The deal gives the Mavericks a potential star in Butler, who has struggled this season but certainly could benefit from a change of scenery.
Haywood will give the Mavericks a much-needed defensive presence in the paint, while Stevenson is not likely to see much time unless his play drastically improves.
Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 7:10 pm by steve
In a week’s time, Dirk Nowitzki may have already bid goodbye to Josh Howard.
The Mavericks and Washington Wizards are reportedly in final stages of discussing a trade of Caron Butler, Brandon Haywood, and DeShawn Stevenson for Josh Howard, Drew Gooden, and one of Dallas’ expiring contracts.
Dallas would gain an All-Star-caliber talent in Butler, and Haywood could easily fill the defensive hole they have in the middle. They’d only be giving up a backup center and a player with a team-option coming up at the end of the year for two legitimate pieces to add for their playoff run.
On Thursday, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said: “We kind of know the parameters [under] which we would make a deal. If somebody meets our parameters, we’ll pull the trigger. But if not, we’re not going to do it. I don’t see us doing something just to do something because that’ll kill our flexibility this summer. But in the event that there’s somebody that really upgrades our talent and really makes our team better, then maybe we’ll do it.”
Friday, February 12, 2010 at 11:11 pm by bryan
With the Dallas Mavericks just 9-9 since New Year’s Eve, the franchise once thought to be entirely out of the trade market may be looking to make some moves before the Feb. 18 trade deadline.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban admitted such, saying on Wednesday that the team will “at least listen” to trade offers.
“We suck right now,” Cuban said. “Where before we might not have listened, now at least we’ll listen. Nothing dramatic has changed except our performance.”
The Mavs jumped out to a fast start and looked to be one of the serious contenders in the Western Conference, but much like a number of the NBA’s contenders, they hit a serious speedbump in January.
The one player being most floated in trade rumors is former All-Star Josh Howard, who has a contract with an $11.8 million team option next year. (In other words, a team can bring him in this year, and if they don’t want him back, they can cut him and free up nearly $12 million in cap space.)
“It’s not like [other teams] think I’m sorry in this league,” Howard told NBA.com. “I know that for a fact. If it’s meant for me to get traded, it’s going to happen. That’s not even my concern. My concern is winning.”
“It’s just the nature of the business,” Cuban said. “People get anxious and get nervous, particularly when things aren’t going well and particularly with my history. It’s not like Josh hasn’t been here five years and knows we’ve made a lot of trades.”
Thursday, February 4, 2010 at 8:38 pm by bryan
