Clippers put Mark Cuban and Steve Ballmer on Kiss Cam, end feud forever
It’s fair to say that this summer’s DeAndre Jordan free-agency brouhaha has created some bad blood between the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks. Owner Mark Cuban, lead recruiter Chandler Parsons, and others have voiced their displeasure with Jordan’s decision to renege on his agreement to join the Mavs, while various members of the Clippers organization have emphasized that everyone involved acted within league rules. The animosity is perhaps a little one-sided, but any meeting between the teams carries the potential for some dust-ups.
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Credit the Clippers, then, for attempting to defuse the situation before it got too heated. During the second quarter Kiss Cam, the Staples Center video crew put Cuban and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer up on the video board. Take a look:
It’s nice to see that Cuban has warmed to the Kiss Cam.
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Cuban and Ballmer did not kiss for the cameras — probably just because they weren’t seated together — but they at least had the good sense to smile and find the humor in the moment. Ballmer seems to have found it especially hilarious, because at various points in this six-second clip he puckers up like a love-crazed cartoon turtle.
Cuban’s display differed greatly from his very salty pregame comments on the Clippers. Like, say, the one where he says they will always be losers:
But don’t worry, he’s not mad or anything:
Seriously, Mark Cuban is not mad at the Clippers. Just listen to how not mad he is. It’s almost funny how much he doesn’t care.
If the owners made up, though, then it does not seem the players have done the same. Later in the second period, Jordan caught Dirk Nowitzki with an elbow while looking to get position in the post. A few plays later, Dirk pushed Jordan under the same circumstances, causing a minor kerfuffle:
A replay review ended with Dirk called for a common foul and Jordan, Blake Griffin, and Raymond Felton all receiving technicals. On the plus side, there were no similar incidents after it.
The excitement on the court dissipated, too. The Clippers coasted to a 104-88 win featuring a dose of garbage time. Jordan finished with just six points (2-of-2 FG, 2-of-8 FT) but pulled down 15 rebounds and blocked four shots. Griffin led all scorers with 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting and added 10 boards.
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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
