Culture of Hoops

Mark Cuban to Jason Kidd: No Rafters For You!

Mark Cuban is obviously not a big fan of Jason Kidd, telling the Ben and Skin show on 103.3 (KESN-FM) in Dallas that there is no chance that Kidd will have his Dallas Mavericks jersey retired. The reason for taking away the honor…

Cuban said Tuesday he thought Kidd was returning to the Mavericks before the veteran point guard surprisingly changed his mind and agreed to sign with the Knicks.

“I was more than upset… I thought he was coming (back). I was pissed.”

The lesson here is that you don’t piss off Mark Cuban, or all of your accomplishments, such as helping the Mavericks win their first ever NBA title, will be forgotten. Of course, Cuban as owner of the Mavs can do whatever he wants, but this just appears to be sour grapes. Perhaps the wound is still too fresh for Cuban and his decision to cut off any jersey-retiring ceremony for Kidd is more reactionary at this point with time being the ultimate healer.

Kidd is, afterall, one of the best point guards of all-time and deserves the honor – drafted by the Mavericks, winning NBA Co-Rookie of the Year (with the Detroit Pistons’ Grant Hill), being traded and coming back with a hero’s welcome to win an NBA championship. But, Mark Cuban is saying no at this point because his feelings are legitimately hurt.

“J-Kidd’s a big boy, he can do whatever he wants,” Cuban said. “But you don’t change your mind like that. I’m sure I’ll get over it at some point, but as of right now, I wouldn’t put J-Kidd’s number in the rafters.”

Cuban said Kidd called him before agreeing to the deal but Cuban didn’t answer because he, “was in D.C. with my kids at a museum.”

“I like J-Kidd,” Cuban added. “He’s a good guy. But I just thought that was wrong. You can’t put a guy’s number in the rafters when he decides he doesn’t want to be there.”

It’s hard being Mark Cuban.

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