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Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson laughed off Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban's claim that Jackson "must now be considered my bucket boy."
The comments were posted on Cuban's Web log -- under the heading "I Own Phil Jackson" -- on Wednesday, the day after the Mavericks beat the Lakers 102-87 in Dallas.
"It's just fun to have Mark in the league," Jackson said with a wry smile before the Lakers played the Rockets on Wednesday night.
In Dallas, the Lakers deliberately took back-to-back delay of game penalties and got a technical foul in the fourth quarter. After the game, Jackson implied that NBA referees are intimidated by Cuban.
"I know there's a lot of pressure on the refs when they come here, because Mark has them review the tapes and send them into the league," Jackson said. "And these guys are nervous Nellies when they come in to referee in this building. But they have to do a better job than they're doing. That's not acceptable."
Cuban responded in his blog: "For whatever reason, I have gotten to Phil so completely and thoroughly that every time he comes to Dallas, he has to offer unsolicited comments about me to the media.
"I wonder if he dreams about me the nights he spends here in Dallas. OK, I don't wonder. I'm curious about it."
On Wednesday, Jackson again accused Cuban of trying to sway officials.
"I think we all know what's happened around the league since Mark has picked up that franchise," Jackson said. "He's done a great job of bringing attendance to the club, he's hired former NBA referees to monitor the game tapes. He sends out a weekly report on referees.
"There are some things that Mark has done to turn it a little bit in his favor. And that's good. He's trying to do everything he can to sally up points."
Cuban, who said what he wrote was "all tongue in cheek," scoffed at the notion that he could have more influence on a game than a coach could.
"But if Phil wants to think so, I'm fine with that," Cuban wrote. "That's what happens when you own someone, they can't get you out of their head, and they don't often think, speak or act rationally."
Source: AP
The comments were posted on Cuban's Web log -- under the heading "I Own Phil Jackson" -- on Wednesday, the day after the Mavericks beat the Lakers 102-87 in Dallas.
"It's just fun to have Mark in the league," Jackson said with a wry smile before the Lakers played the Rockets on Wednesday night.
In Dallas, the Lakers deliberately took back-to-back delay of game penalties and got a technical foul in the fourth quarter. After the game, Jackson implied that NBA referees are intimidated by Cuban.
"I know there's a lot of pressure on the refs when they come here, because Mark has them review the tapes and send them into the league," Jackson said. "And these guys are nervous Nellies when they come in to referee in this building. But they have to do a better job than they're doing. That's not acceptable."
Cuban responded in his blog: "For whatever reason, I have gotten to Phil so completely and thoroughly that every time he comes to Dallas, he has to offer unsolicited comments about me to the media.
"I wonder if he dreams about me the nights he spends here in Dallas. OK, I don't wonder. I'm curious about it."
On Wednesday, Jackson again accused Cuban of trying to sway officials.
"I think we all know what's happened around the league since Mark has picked up that franchise," Jackson said. "He's done a great job of bringing attendance to the club, he's hired former NBA referees to monitor the game tapes. He sends out a weekly report on referees.
"There are some things that Mark has done to turn it a little bit in his favor. And that's good. He's trying to do everything he can to sally up points."
Cuban, who said what he wrote was "all tongue in cheek," scoffed at the notion that he could have more influence on a game than a coach could.
"But if Phil wants to think so, I'm fine with that," Cuban wrote. "That's what happens when you own someone, they can't get you out of their head, and they don't often think, speak or act rationally."
Source: AP