Mavericks Fans Harass Nuggets' Families
Posted May 12, 2009 3:35AM By Calvin Watkins (RSS feed)
Filed Under: Mavericks, Nuggets, Playoffs, NBA Press Box
DALLAS -- There was drama on and off the court during Game 4 of the Mavericks-Nuggets Western Conference semifinals series on Monday night.
The girlfriend of Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony had to leave her seat because fans where bothering her. Family members of Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin had to call security during the first and second half after getting into it with fans. In the fourth quarter, there were three security guards guarding Martin's mother, Lydia Moore (pictured).
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Video: Kenyon Goes Off on Cuban | Should Kenyon Martin Be Suspended?
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The fans distaste for the Nuggets and their families started after last Saturday's game at the American Airlines Center when Mavericks owner Mark Cuban got into a shouting match with Moore. Cuban said a fan yelled that the Nuggets were thugs and he looked at Moore and said, "That included your son."
But following Game 4, Cuban apologized on his blog to the Nuggets for what happened to their families and for exchanging words with Moore.
"So at this point I would like to apologize to you and your mom KMart for my comment," Cuban said in a post timestamped 1:34 AM Central Time. "I should have not said anything and I was wrong. Hopefully you will accept the apology and we can move on.
"When the series comes back to Dallas, your family, and the family of other Nuggets players are welcome to stay in my suite, with my family. Its amazing how tempers mellow when real people talk to each other and realize that its still just a game."
"If that isn't acceptable, I'm happy to provide a suite, free of charge to them as well and place whatever security is needed to make them feel comfortable."
Earlier on Monday, Martin said he was going to take care of Cuban personally for getting into a disagreement with his mother. Martin's coach George Karl said he hoped the two would settle the issue after the season.
But clearly it was not over.
After the Mavericks' 119-117 victory, which made the series 3-1 with the Nuggets still in control, Martin walked off the court and yelled expletives at Cuban.
When approached by reporters after the game, Martin said, "All you (expletives) trying to do is keep trouble up. Keep away from me."
Martin's business manager Brad Morris told FanHouse that security did a great job at making sure nothing serious happened in the stands.
The Nuggets said the incidents in the stands didn't distract them. If anything it made them angry. Several players talked to each other about being called thugs but felt the fans were acting out of line.
"I would probably use an uglier word than hostile," Karl said when asked if Game 4 was hostile. "But I'm not going to do that right now. But I'm not going to do that right now. I don't think it was very classy. I've been in hostile buildings, but you can do it in a classy way."
Mavericks president and chief executive officer, Terdema Ussery spoke to the Martin family outside of the locker room following the game and it appeared as if the conversation was pleasant.
Martin left the locker room and walked to the bus holding hands with his girlfriend as fans jeered him.
Anthony said his girlfriend is OK and that he's not concerned.
"Do we think Mark Cuban is wrong? Yeah," he said. "Should he apologize, yeah we think that, but that's not something we're going to focus on, we're trying to win basketball games."
Guard Chauncey Billups said he was surprised to see Martin, who went to high school in Dallas, get criticized so heavily by the fans. He was also concerned that several family members were involved in a few incidents.
"It's bothersome sure, that's definitely bothersome," Billups said. "They're coming out here cheering and rooting us on and travel to town to see us. Everybody's family is here and they have to go through that, its not right. But what can you say."
