| | DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks coach-general manager Don Nelson
and owner-to-be Mark Cuban say flamboyant forward Dennis Rodman was
released Wednesday because the team was no longer in playoff
contention.
The rebellious Rodman, as always, had a different point of view.
In his first comments since being dropped by the only team
willing to put up with his antics, Rodman criticized the league,
the Mavericks organization and Cuban in an expletive-filled tirade
Thursday.
"If it's not a personal thing, then it's the NBA, saying if you
don't get rid of Dennis Rodman, then you're not going to be an
owner," Rodman said. "I think it's an injustice because I'm me,
Dennis Rodman. I haven't done anything wrong. I thought I was doing
a good job. I thought I lived up to my expectations. I don't get
it. I really don't get it. I get the short end of the stick every
... time. What am I doing wrong?"
For Nelson and Cuban, the bottom line was that Rodman did not
amount to more wins.
Dallas had won 10 of 13 games before Rodman's Feb. 3 signing. In
the 29 days and 13 games of the Rodman era, Dallas managed to win
just four games while enduring two ejections and a one-game
suspension from the league's most-pierced player.
"There is no question Dennis Rodman would still be here if we
were still in the playoff hunt," Nelson said after the Mavericks'
first post-Rodman shootaround. "We had to decide if we wanted to
continue to give him 35 minutes a game or if we wanted to play
younger guys. We decided to play the younger guys. It was nothing
he said or did."
Not that Rodman didn't supply ample ammunition.
Following a loss to Seattle on Tuesday -- the Mavericks' fifth in
a row -- Rodman criticized teammates and lashed out at the
ever-enthusiastic Cuban for being overzealous.
Cuban and Nelson said the comments had nothing to do with his
release. Both said plans to drop the tattooed one began after a
loss to Sacramento Monday night.
"Dennis is a passionate, emotional player and he vents
verbally," said Cuban, who had Rodman living in his guest house
for part of the season. "That's just Dennis. I didn't take it
personally at all. If I was thin-skinned, I never would have done
it in the first place."
The comments still carried some sting.
"You don't ever want to take shots at your teammates," said
Mavericks guard Eric Strickland. "It hurt a little bit, but I
can't say it's going to stop me from playing the game tonight."
The outburst capped what Mavericks players knew was coming.
"I think it would have been great if it could have worked out,
but it definitely wasn't working out," guard Steve Nash said. "I
didn't want to see him go in one sense, but on the other hand I
think it was time that he did go. I don't think he wanted to be
here. If Dennis wanted to be here, I think we would have seen a
different Dennis and a different result."
In the end, it was the same Dennis with the same result.
Rodman wore out his welcome with San Antonio and even though he
won three championships with Chicago, his act was wearing thin
before he left there. Rodman was released after 48 games by the Los
Angeles Lakers last season.
True to form in past stops, Rodman distanced himself from blame
in what may have been his last chance.
"I got used again," Rodman said. "It's like being
blackballed. I've done so much for this league and people want to
see me play. ... I don't get it."
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Worm turned away: Mavericks waive angry Rodman
Without Rodman, Mavs continue to lose (to T-Wolves)
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