Cuban-Nelson relationship now far from a golden state

OAKLAND — What a lovely first-round war.

It doesn’t get any better than the Dallas-Golden State series, which resumes tonight with the Warriors, who were three minutes from shocking the world in Game 5, still ahead, 3-2, and one elusive win away from dumping the Mavericks on their big reputation.

A series with the ultimate David and the ultimate Goliath just had the ultimate comeback in Game 5 with the Mavericks rallying from nine points down in the final 3:02.

Now it also has the re-emergence of the ultimate feud between Dallas owner Mark Cuban and his former coach, Don Nelson.

Cuban and Nelson, who clashed for six seasons together, low-keyed their rivalry until it resurfaced on Page 1 of the Wall Street Journal Tuesday with unnamed associates of Warriors Coach Nelson laying out a blanket indictment of Cuban.

“I could care less,” said Cuban of finding his team on the verge of being upset by his old coach.

“I think it’s a positive because, knowing Nellie, the fact that it goes seven games or whatever happens changes him from the underdog to the favorite in a lot of respects.

“With all the expectations, he can’t just be in hiding -- and it couldn’t happen to a better guy....

“I said it [that Nelson prefers playing the underdog to trying to win a title] and I think it. It’s one of the reasons we didn’t get along. Now an entire city thinks he’s going to win 60 games and a championship every year. That would be fun to watch.... Some people are afraid to lose. You can’t be afraid to lose if you’re going to be a winner. You see it in business all the time.... You’ve got to go for it. I don’t think Nellie’s got that attitude and that was a conflict between us.”

Said Nelson: “You guys know Mark Cuban. He tries to crush everything in his path. And I’d really not get involved in discussing those situations.”

Cuban and Nelson turned the woebegone Dallas franchise around but by their fourth season together, Cuban had tired of playing third fiddle to the Lakers and San Antonio Spurs.

Nevertheless, the team exceeded expectations, winning 60 games, losing in the 2003 Western Conference finals only after Dirk Nowitzki was hurt.

Cuban had to give Nelson a three-year, $15 million contract extension. Nelson was upset at not getting a raise; when the team fell off, Cuban felt he’d been taken. That summer Cuban let Steve Nash leave as a free agent. Nelson resigned the following season, saying “a little piece of my heart” had gone with Nash.

After taking the Warriors’ job last fall, Nelson said he was suing Cuban for $6.6 million in deferred money.

Cuban says Nelson tried to get him to speed up the payments before he found out Nelson had taken the job. Noting no legal action was filed, Cuban called Nelson’s talk about suing “a lie.”

It’s literally and figuratively a family fight. Nelson’s son, Donnie, remains as the Mavericks’ general manager. Dallas Coach Avery Johnson and assistant coach Del Harris are old Nelson hands, who played and/or coached under him in Dallas and Golden State.

“When things started to go south with Nellie, he [Donnie] told me, ‘I bleed Maverick blue and I always have,’ ” said Cuban. “We never talked about it again.”

Now for the ultimate in the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

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