Mark Cuban decided to stop talking.

Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks now have their first title. Head coach Rick Carlisle advised Cuban to keep his mouth under wraps, and allow his team do do the talking for them.

Even now that the Mavericks are NBA Champions, Cuban is speaking of things in a new light. His passion is appeased, his drive to be the best has been rewarded.

And by doing so, Mark Cuban has gone from what I once considered to be an all out villain of the NBA to what could possibly be one of the league’s savoirs.

He is offering to pay for the entire championship parade in Dallas:

“We’ll do it,” Cuban said early Monday morning. “All I told them was — Terdema Ussery, our president — you plan the parade. I’ll pay for it because I don’t think it’s right for the city to have to pay for it. And let’s just have some fun.”

This strikes right into my heart as a passionate fan of sports. While I was residing in Los Angeles, I had to endure my tax dollars being allocated to the funding of Los Angeles Lakers parades. I despise the Lakers, and had no choice in the matter but to sit back and watch in disgust as tax monies were already failing to cover the city’s overwhelming budget troubles.

Instead of taking things into their own hands, the Lakers allowed the city to go further into the hole, and used our tax dollars to celebrate.

Mark Cuban is taking this opportunity as a winner to use the spotlight to be a shinning example of how these ridiculously rich franchise owners can reward their fans and cities by not allowing their success to come at the cost of those who already purchase their tickets and merchandise.

Mark Cuban, I don’t know why, or how, but I can only applaud you for doing what you are doing. You are truly a champion.

The Dallas Mavericks are officially NBA Champions, having executed revenge against the same franchise that defeated them 5 years ago. Dirk Nowitzki is the deserving NBA Finals MVP. Jason Kidd, at the ancient-by-NBA-standards age of 38, finally tastes the glory of winning a championship ring after 17 long, fruitless years.

Kidd, whom started his career with the Dallas Mavericks back in 1994, as the number 2 draft pick in the draft. Poetically, he now comes full circle by winning a ring for the team where his career started.

Surely Kidd isn’t the dominant player as he once was. His speed has all but left him; however, his motor, will power, and the reinvention of his game have allowed for Kidd to continue on in ways still having significant impact on the outcome of a game.

In 36 minutes during game 6, Kidd scored 9 points on 4 shots, and had 8 assists to go with a plus minus of +18. Spectacular by anyone’s standards.

Having grown up in the Bay Area, I was lucky to have been able to watch Kidd play live during his NCAA career at the University of California Berkeley, and heard of him since his days at Saint Joseph Notre Dame High School in San Francisco.

It means something to me to see the local boy make good on his NBA dream of a title, especially after watching him lose in his previous two attempts with the New Jersey Nets. Where many would have called a a career a few years ago, Kidd kept plugging, and kept believing. Now, everyone can believe.

We all know we should not count LeBron and the Miami Heat out, even down. But Dirk Nowitzki is playing out of his mind, and I can honestly say, and growing up in the Golden State of NBA Warrior Mind makes this even harder to utter, for the FIRST TIME: Dirk Nowitzki is deserving of his first NBA title.

I admit I usually root for anything that results in a dumb-confounded, sourpuss-look on Mark Cuban’s face. Especially when it is at the cost of the Mavericks as a whole.  After all, real Warriors fans truly have nothing but disdain for the Mavericks. It’s a byproduct of being a 49ers fan.

But Dirk and Jason Kidd are on the verge of having a precious, glorious ring, and they deserve it.

Tyson Chandler deserves it. The man has done nothing less than a herculean effort, sacrificing his body, laying everything out on the line, and giving the Mavericks the mindset and focus that makes them who they are.

I have been befuddled as I have watched Dirk elevate his game in a fashion I have always thought he should, but often wondered why he hadn’t.

He is playing tougher than I have ever seen him, and at a level that truly thrusts him into a level of a legend. And, he is doing it against the player I officially despise more than Kobe, LeBron James.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers championship and “Threepeat” hopes had the door emphatically slammed shut this week after Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks shocked the basketball world,  sweeping Los Angeles in four games.

Credit is due to the Mavericks, as their recently discovered toughness – influenced by the Tyson Chandler effect – soundly demolished the Lakers in 4 straight games. However, had the Lakers actually played as a team for even one game, they would have not been swept away in such a devastating fashion.

Not only were all the Lakers deficiencies exposed during the series, but questions now arise regarding how the Lakers move forward, and whether or not Kobe and the current makeup of the Lakers has a legitimate chance at challenging any time soon

The concept of team chemistry immediately comes to mind when addressing the first issue in Lakerland. There appears to be some sort of off court rift between Pau Gasol and Kobe. If the Lakers are to find a way to get back on track, reconciliation between the leagues most skilled power forward and the leagues most arrogant superstar must be first on the Lakers organizations agenda.

Restructuring the franchise must address the following needs for the Lakers:

Head Coach

This is the one position that is changing with absolute certainty. Phil Jackson has made it clear he is stepping down as the Lakers head coach. But will Brian Shaw get his chance to run the Lakers? Whoever it is, expect that there will be no way the players net yield on the floor will be as plentiful as it is with Jackson.

Point Guard – Derek Fisher

Fisher needs to retire. He has little left to offer his team as a full time starting point guard in the NBA. Steve Blake has proved he can run a team as a full-time starter, but teams seem to do better with him coming off the bench. If a Dwight Howard trade does happen, look for the Lakers to also try to improve here.

Shooting Guard – Kobe Bryant

Kobe is starting to look his age. His injuries and wear and tear finally caught up with him, and he looked like a mere mortal against Dallas. Of course, Kobe will never have to worry about a thing, as whatever he wants, he gets.

This does not bodes well for Gasol’s future with the Lakers.

Center – Andrew Bynum

The Lakers should trade Bynum while he has any value left. Bynum imploded this year in the playoffs, and at this point in his career it is hard to believe he is going to get it together mentally, or play a complete season without injury. Fortunately for the Lakers, Bynum is less injury prone than Greg Oden, and has value still.

Bynum  could be implemented in a system that caters more to him, and gives him more touches, thus allowing him to have major market value.

Power Forward – Pau Gasol

Gasol is the most valuable player on this team behind Bryant. It is truly a shame that he might be on the way out simply to appease Bryant, the aging star on the decline. If Bryant gets his way, it will be some combo of Kobe, Lamar Odom, and whoever else they can keep while liquidating the leagues best power forward in an attempt to rebuild.

Small Forward – Ron Artest

Artest has fallen off the planet as a NBA player. His game has worsened so bad that his disappearance was the only thing going unnoticed against the Mavericks. He barely contributed, and his suspension didn’t help either. Apparently, the Lakers will likely be stuck with Artest, unless Mitch Kupchack  can create a whopper of a trade.

Expect the Lakers to be one of the most active teams this summer.

The Dallas Mavericks have shocked the sports world (this writer included, whom predicted they would be eliminated effortlessly) taken the first two games from the Los Angeles Lakers, in Los Angeles, and now have a commanding  2-0 lead heading back to Dallas for game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

What has been the difference?

Other than Dirk Nowitzki, it has to be the defensive influence of Tyson Chandler on the back line for the Mavericks defensive efforts, and the stellar performance of the Mavericks bench.

Kobe Bryant has painfully seen his efforts go to the wayside as his Lakers cannot get it together.

Los Angeles second unit was a massive drop off from the starters. The entire Lakers bench totaled 12 points, meaning J.J. Barea matched the Lakers bench in scoring himself.

Lamar Odom delivered a horrid 3-12 from the field, and “contributed” a plus/minus of -18 for the game, making him, statistically speaking, the most ineffective player on the court for the Lakers.

If the Lakers fail to capture game 3 in Dallas, it will be come much clearer that Kobe and the Lakers will be thinking about the Threepeat that could have been, while sitting at home watching the rest of the playoffs.

Dirk will be in a strong position against the Lakers, and it will be interesting to see if he can rise up and close out the series. Only three teams have ever come back after losing the first two games in a playoff series.

Dirks’ Mavericks happen to be one of the teams on the losing end, having lost in the NBA Finals to the Miami Heat in 2006 after winning 2 games. Will history repeat itself? Its hard to count the Lakers out while Kobe Bryant is on their team, but history is against them.

Memphis Grizzlies vs.  Oklahoma City Thunder

If Zach Randolph continues playing basketball the way he is now, it is hard to imagine any team stopping the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are the first team since the Golden State Warriors in 2007 to be the #8 seed to knock off the #1 seed.

Memphis emphatically dismantled the San Antonio Spurs in 6 games, and it would likely have been five games had Manu Ginobili and Gary Neal missed those unbelievably clutch 3s in the waning moments of game 5 to push the game into overtime.

The Thunder have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to combat Zach Randolph and Gasol. They also scored at the trade deadline and stole Kendrick Perkins away from Boston (Boston will regret this move before their post season is finished) for Jeff Green.

In fact, the Thunder’s roster boasts Perkins, Serge Ibaka, Nick Colison, and Nazr Muhhammed to throw at Marc Gasol and Randolph. That is a lot of depth, and expect the Thunder to wear out Memphis as this series goes on.

But we cannot forget that Marc Gasol dominated Tim Duncan in round 1, and when paired in the front court with Randolph the two mutated into some sort of mythological, twin-towered beast for the Grizzliest whom terrorized the Spurs.

This series should come down to the performance of two players performances that will decide the outcome:

Can Russell Westbrook can keep his turnovers low and push the transition game?

If Westbrook is on so are the Thunder, this has catastrophic results for most opposition, and makes life more pleasant for Kevin Durant on offense by reducing his load, and saving his game for the 4th quarter.

If Zach Randolph continues to dominate the game as he did in round 1? How will he handle the myriad of never-ending size the Thunder throw at him?

The Grizzlies might make this a series, but it is hard to bet against the Thunders talent and depth.

Prediction: Thunder in 7

Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers will be facing off against the tallest version of Dallas they have ever experienced in the playoffs.

The Mavericks will have Dirk Nowitski, Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood – three seven-footers- to battle Andrew Bynum, Pao Gasol, and Lamar Odom – another three seven-footers – which will take away the height advantage the Lakers used on New Orleans in round 1.

Even though the height might be equal in numbers, it does not account for the fact that the Lakers talent level over-matches the talent of the Mavericks.

Jason Kidd has the upper hand over Derek Fisher at point guard, but how do the Mavericks have any chance whatsoever at slowing or doing anything to disrupt Kobe from imposing his will on them?

Jason Terry or DeShawn Stephenson, maybe even Corey Brewer, perhaps. Brewer is the better defender of the group, but his limited offense (major offensive regression this year) and lack of playoff experience with a winning club all but rule this out the chance of making an impact.

Rodridgue Beabois is lightning fast, but at 6’2″, he has no chance to stop Kobe.

This gives the Lakers the ultimate advantage, and should be allowed to dictate most of the pace of this series.

The Lakers are simply overall a much better team.

I would consider predicting a sweep, but can’t beat against a sweep if Jason Kidd is involved. Even at the age of 38, Kidd can still be expected to will Dallas into stealing at least 1 game.

Prediction: Lakers in 5

Chris Kaman told the L.A. Times that Baron Davis is not the only Los Angeles Clipper whom was the recipient of a Donal Sterling taunt. But unlike Davis, whom many sources have reported that the taunts are taking a psychological toll on the overweight and oft injured point guard, Kaman takes all of Sterlings verbal lashings in stride.

Which is probably the best way to take anything Donald Sterling has to say.

The man is wealthy, but he is an absolute moron of an NBA franchise owner. At least the former owner of the New Orleans Hornets George Shinn never stooped to this level. Sterling broke the cardinal rule to being in sports in the first place. You never go against your team. Ever.

This recent news about Sterling taunting his employees raises a more prevalent topic for discussion. I know it sounds stupid because we are talking about a basketball game, and Sterling is the boss, but where does the scope of what an owner can and cannot do to his players come into the scope of Commissioner David Stern?

World's Worst Franchise Owner in the History of Sports

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban made some headlines and paid some fines in the past for the way he and Kenyon Martin feuded in the playoffs. When I reflect back on those events now, and compare them to what Donald Sterling has done, I view Mark Cuban in an entirely different light. Borderline saint-like in comparison.

Mark Cuban might behave in a fashion I do not personally have a taste for in general because he often seems to project an image that makes him come across like he actually helped decide the outcome of the game. He roots, he screams, he gets fined. He is without a doubt a passionate owner.

Cuban provides the best technology and science available for his team. He loves his players, and cares or them like family. Who ever has anything bad to say about their time playing for Mark Cuban?

Donald Sterling, in comparison, is a classless moron, self centered egotist who thinks it is ok to berate his player simply because he is the boss. He has a long past trying avoid making payments to his employees, accusations of racism, and a reputation as being anything but concerned with winning.

Would Mark Cuban ever throw his players under the bus like this? For god’s sake man, if Stern can help get rid of the New Orleans Hornets crappy owner, can’t they aim to do something about the Clippers crappy boss?

Chris Paul is unhappy in New Orleans. Over the past three years the Hornets have fired the coach CP3 loves and traded away his good friend Tyson Chandler. They are in complete dissaray. and based on the way the Hornets management has made their moves, who can blame CP3 for wanting to leave?

You can only take so much James.......

In light of what has been happening in Miami, CP3 is now letting it known he wants out of New Orleans. It is fair to say he was patient, and gave them plenty of opportunities to make something happen with the franchise, but it is quite clear that the Hornets failed to deliver.

Now the Hornets face the sad reality that Paul wants to be sent to a team with a future. He wants the New York Knicks, and has a short list of other teams he will play for that includes Orlando, Dallas, and Portland.

New York Knicks

Oddly enough, if the Knicks could make the play for Paul, they could have quite a turnaround season. Paul would fit well into an uptempo system with Amare Stoudemire. Young gun Danilo Galinari is like Peja on steroids, but unlike Peja, he also rebounds and plays defense a ton better.

Newly acquired Anthony Randolph could represent CP3s new alley oop partner, and that combo has thepotential to give birth to a new brand of basketball in Madison Square Garden.

Orlando Magic

CP3 could join Dwight Howard to be the best big man and little man combination in the league. Hard to see this happening though, unless the Magic can convince the Hornets to take on some more bad contracts in exchange for CP3. See: Emeka Okafur.

Who in their rightful mind woudl want Rashard Lewis or Vince Carter at this point in either of their careers? Odds are one of these guys, if not both, would be packaged into the deal to make this happen. Can’t see the Hornets allowing that to happen.

Dallas Mavericks

Look for Mark Cuban to do everything in his power to make this happen. Paul is the caliber of player Cuban needs to put around Dirk Nowitski in order to give the Mavericks a chance to make something happen in the west this season.

Can you imagine the damage CP3 could cause as a Maverick. The tutelage he would recieve from Jason Kidd, and having Kidd as a backup gives Dallas a disctinct advantage at the PG position. Kidd as areserve would create the most dangerous second unit in all the NBA.

Portland Trail Blazers

There have been murmurs of CP3 being coveted by Portland for years now. Out of all the teams on Paul’s list, the Blazers have enough desirable assets to help facilitate this trade.

Rudy Fernandez, fan favorite and oft under-used, is unhappy in Portland. The Blazers have 3 starter-caliber centers in Greg Oden, Marcus Camby, and Joel Przybilla. All three have great trade value.

They also have PG Andre Miller.

A package with Andre Miller, Przybilla, Rudy Fernandez and could very easily work in matching the numbers. Portland would also be willing to take a bad salary back like that of none other than: Emeka Okafur. Sorry, it’s just too hard not to pick on that contract.

At the end of the day, when you look at all of these teams, Portland seems to be the best fit for making CP3′s desire for immediate title contention into a reality.

Pairing  Chris Paul with Brandon Roy, Lamarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, and Marcus Camby gives the Blazers the best squad to contend for a title. The Blazers are also the only team with enough quality assets to have the largest potential impact after a trade.

Orlando, Dallas, and New York would all have to give up too much talent to get Cp3, inevitably thinning their roster to their own detriment.

Jason Kidd made one of the better head’s up basketball plays in recent NBA history.

With 1:37 remaining in the 4th quarter, down by two points, 95-97, Jason Kidd noticed Mike Woodson standing on the court, and decided to drive into him. Kidd caught him with an elbow to make sure the referees noticed within the plane of the playing field, catching Woodson red-handed.

It is illegal for coaches to be on the floor, and as sometimes refs are lax about calling the technical foul if they are on the opposite end of the action, but it is an automatic call if the coach obstructs play on the court.

Kidd used the rules against coach Mike Woodson. (ESPN)

Tempers instantly flared up and Woodson started giving Kidd an earful, eventually needing to be restrained as coaches and players separated him from a smirking Kidd.

Naturally, a crowd of players gathered to surround the ruckus, but ultimately, and fortunately, things didn’t escalate between teams beyond that.

Coaches are notorious and reputable for being influential over their team. At times they will get heated up by a referee’s call they have a disagreement, and draw a technical foul by arguing it. The coach will do this with the intention of helping his team to get calls made evenly in most cases.

However, how many times have you seen a coach critically hurt his team by making a fundamental mistake and violating a rule, being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Here are the videos, for your enjoyment:

Jason Kidd is 36 years old. The blockbuster trade in which Dallas stole Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood while exiling Josh Howard has provided Kidd a legitimate shot to lead his team over the next 24 games for a shot at a title.

Kidd is has always possessed a knack for igniting offenses, but this current lineup possesses the best talent pool Kidd has ever been surrounded by.

That being said, I am predicting Dallas will go on a tear to finish the season, and will contend with the Lakers and Nuggets to advance to the NBA Finals.

Kidd will have Mavs fans pumping fists in the playoffs. (Credit: picapp.com)

Brendan Haywood has flourished within the Mavs’ system, and as the beneficiary of some nifty Kidd passes, helped the Mavs restrain the lengthy Los Angeles Lakers, pulling out a 101-96 victory Wednesday. Haywood was a force in the middle, finishing with 5 blocks. He is averaging 11.2 points, 10.7 rebounds, and nearly 3 blocks a game since joining the Mavs.

Once Erick Dampier returns from his freakish finger injury there will be 6 more fouls, but, a lame “Dampier-ian” game, at Dallas’ disposal to throw at the Lakers in the postseason.

The Mavs now have size and fouls they will need to pound on Gasol and Bynum. The Lakers will have to survive a beating in the paint in order to advance to the finals this year.

Kidd is playing at a level that mere mortal NBA players approaching age 37 would scoff at. He is averaging 9.8 points, 9.2 assists, and 5.2 rebounds this year. That bests the majority of point guards nearing or already in their prime. At age 36 (he turns 37 in March), Kidd ranks 5th in the league in assists. Simply mind blowing.

With a starting five of Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki, Caron Butler, Shawn Marion, and Brendan Haywood, instant offense with Jason Terry, bench depth, and Dallas already 4th in the playoff race, it’s possible the Mavericks can climb the ladder furthermore before the end of the season.

Dirk should go off with the distractions Butler will cause, and Marion will be able to pick up the scraps and hurt teams as the forgotten man on offense. And of course, Kidd will have more passing options to pick apart defenses then ever before.

Currently there is only a 1.0 game difference between Dallas and 2nd seed Denver, while only a o.5 game difference separates the Mavs from 3rd seed Utah.

Deron Wiliams recently bitched to the media how his team got weaker by trading Ronnie Brewer to Memphis for a future pick. This effectively makes Utah weaker defensively, which could cost them some crucial games down the stretch.

Denver is a great team, but when your best bench scorer is a headcase like J.R. Smith, you can never be sure what you will get on any given night.

Utah has gotten weaker, and the Nuggets have a psycho on their team, so passing these teams is realistic if Dallas gets hot.

Seeing how Kidd orchestrated the dismantling of the Lakers tonight, I can’t envision Dallas doing anything but sizzling up the rankings. Albeit unlikely, but now that Zyndrus Ilgauskas has cleared waivers, look for Mark Cuban to lead the stampede in chasing him down as well.