SLOVENIAN KID TEARING UP THE NBA~CAN OWNER MARK CUBAN BUILD A TEAM AROUND HIM?

 

During my last decade of secular work I tried to navigate the North 820 Loop into Fort Worth, but it was mostly an impassable parking lot, forcing me into a diversion route through residential areas to get to my job.

Bill Clinton was President, but, even then, north Texas talk radio was mostly vitriol aimed at Hillary Clinton, the person Texans seemed to hate the most.

When the programming shifted to sports, squeaky-voiced Norm Hitzges mostly talked about a skinny German kid Donnie Nelson had discovered.

Mavs coach Don Nelson, Donnie's dad, had gone to Germany to drink beer with the kid's father and try to convince the young man to come to the U.S.

Dirk Nowitzki eventually came to the U.S., overcoming a brief period of homesickness to play twenty-one years for the Mavericks with a certain dignity and loyalty.

In the last couple days, a Dirk Nowitzki statute was unveiled in front of the American Airlines Center, exactly twenty-one feet in length, one foot for every year of service.

But, the Dallas Mavericks, not a particularly well-managed sports franchise, have lucked out again with the rights to another Eastern European basketball savant, Luka Doncic of Slovenia, also a Donnie Nelson discovery.

Luka Doncic

Doncic, as a mere lad, joined Union Olimpija, then, at 17, the Slovenia national team, winning the Eurobasket title that year.

In 2018, Doncic joined Real Madrid, leading them to the EuroLeague title and, that same year became eligible for the NBA draft.

In that draft, both the Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings passed on Doncic, allowing the Atlanta Hawks to pick him third, but the Hawks had a pre-draft agreement to exchange draft picks with he Mavs who picked fifth.

Since then, Doncic has soared with the Mavs, winning Rookie of the Year in the 2018-19 season and is now a legitimate MVP candidate.

Just last night Doncic set several NBA records with a 60 point, 21 rebound, 10 assist performance against the New York Knicks.  

Mavs owner Mark Cuban, whose net worth of $4.6 billion is largely connected to his ownership of the NBA team and its facility, faces the challenge to actually build a good team around Doncic.

While Cuban has been more spendthrift, "throwing around nickels like manhole covers,"  owners like Joseph Lacob of the Warriors and Steve Ballmar of the Clippers are picking up players oblivious to the cost.

Dallas fans hope against hope the loquacious Cuban can start competing with the big boys or simply sell the team.

For Dallas fans, Mark Cuban is "on the clock."