Mark Cuban goes after ESPN reporter on Twitter over Jordan deal
Contrary to a report by ESPN NBA Insider Chris Broussard, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban insists he wasn’t driving around Houston like a jilted lover Wednesday desperately searching for then-free agent center DeAndre Jordan — who reneged on his commitment to Dallas and agreed to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Shortly after it was reported that the Clippers were virtually holding Jordan hostage at his Houston home until he re-signed with them, Broussard reported on Twitter that Cuban was begging Jordan’s family for his address.
“CORRECTION: Sources: Cuban beside himself. Driving around downtown HOUSTON begging (thru texts) Jordan’s family 4 address to DeAndre’s home,” Broussard posted after initially tweeting that Cuban was in Dallas.
On Thursday morning, Cuban unloaded on the reporter, posting “@Chris_Broussard that’s is the dumbest (expletive) Ive ever heard. If you had any ethics u would msg me and I will give u his address.”
Cuban’s brother, Brian, also refuted the report, tweeting, “How could you possibly know that. STFU … he is hiding in the trunk? Broussard is a knucklehead.”
While Cuban was probably irate at Jordan’s 11th-hour reversal, it sounds a little far-fetched to believe a billionaire NBA owner who had already agreed to an $80 million deal with Jordan couldn’t find his address.
“There will be a time when I detail everything I know regarding the last 48 hours,” Cuban wrote to Mavs fans Thursday, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I don’t think the time is right to say anything beyond the facts that (Jordan) never responded to me at all yesterday. Not once. To this minute I have not heard anything from him since Tuesday night.”
Cuban added that he told free agent guard Wesley Matthews that he would not hold him to his verbal commitment now that Jordan backed out, but Matthews says he is still signing with the Mavs.
Broussard stood by his report Thursday, replying to Cuban on Twitter that “if you had the address last night, you would’ve gone to the house. I stand by my multiple sources who had u calling & texting them. … you didn’t fly to Houston to text all night, did you?”
Cuban replied, “post what you have. I have the facts you got lied to.”
A Clippers contingent including owner Steve Ballmer, coach Doc Rivers and players Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, J.J. Redick and Paul Pierce made a trip to Jordan’s home Wednesday with the intention of not leaving until he signed a contract with the team after midnight EDT, which was the first time free agents were permitted to do so.
Reports also indicated that Jordan would not take a phone call from Cuban or Chandler Parsons, who had the tweet of the night with the following sarcastic post about Jordan: “I thought I had a good pump fake.”
Broussard also took part in an extended Twitter battle with Bomani Jones on Tuesday after his fellow ESPN personality questioned Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his girlfriend Ciara’s celibacy.
