Mark Cuban is probably the most popular owner in American sports today. The Dallas Mavericks' owner always finds a way to make headlines whether it's through a player acquisition or bluntly expressing his thoughts. Cuban once again bluntly expressed his thoughts while participating in Shark Week 2013's "Shark After Dark LIVE" on Tuesday evening.
"Nothing better than beating the Heat in the Finals," said Cuban when asked by the show's host, Josh Wolf, if he would give up his show "Shark Tank" for an NBA Championship. Cuban didn't hesitate, responding "NBA Championship," but of course, he had to take a step further by wishing his team would win it versus the back-to-back defending champions.
It wasn't long ago in 2011 that the Heat stacked up on talent. LeBron James made his way from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Miami Heat, joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. James became the most hated athlete in sports, taking the Heat team along with him. Dirk Nowitzki and his Mavericks played their hearts out. Going up against a super power like the Heat wasn't easy, but with James on the opposite end of the floor and almost the entire NBA world rooting against Miami, the Mavericks were fueled to a 4-2 series victory, claiming their first NBA championship.
That was the first year of the Big Three, but since then, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have fallen short of taking the title back West. The Mavericks are nowhere near as good as either the Spurs or Thunder, but they made a few acquisitions that should make them a better team in 2013. They added Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon, a pair of guards who can help Nowitzki on offense, but will it be enough.
Don't expect Cuban to remain with his arms crossed for too long. There are a number of free agents hitting the market in 2014, counting James and Carmelo Anthony. With Nowitzki now 35 years of age, it will be interesting to see who Cuban tries to get in a Mavericks' jersey.
Can the Mavericks make a miracle run in 2013-2014? The Heat are once again heavily favored to make another NBA Finals' appearance. Can Cuban's Mavs be there to upset the world's best basketball player once again?
