Nellie, Cuban feuding over money ex-coach says he’s still owed

By Ron Morgan, Sun columnist

Kids come in all shapes and sizes. They can be cute. They can be exasperating.

If I ever forget just what they’re like, I just go visit the grandkids. They fuss and fight just like siblings have since snakes were selling apples on the corner. The thing is that five-year olds don’t have enough attention span to carry a grudge.

That’s not the case when kids are a little older, say, 45 and 65. “Wait a minute, you may be thinking, “Those aren’t kids.” I beg your pardon. Let me tell you why.

The transcripts are out from the arbitration hearing between Mark Cuban and Don Nelson. Let me give you the Cliff Notes version. “Did not.” “Did, too.” “Am not.” “Are, too.” That’s close enough.

Let me give you a brief history lesson.

Mark Cuban inherited Don Nelson as coach of the Mavericks. The Ross Perot Jr. regime hired Nellie.

For a couple of years, it seems that things went along pretty well. Cuban looked to Nellie as a mentor in professional basketball. It wasn’t until the 2003 playoffs when things turned south.

If you recall, Dirk hurt his knee. Cuban wanted Dirk to rub some dirt on it and play. Nellie didn’t want to jeopardize his meal ticket of the future. Nellie didn’t play him, and things went south from there.

Let’s fast forward a year following the 2004 season. In another convoluted NBA trade, the Mavs got the fifth pick in the draft. On draft day, Nellie went in to talk with Nellie Jr. about the draft. Donnie took Dad aside in the restroom to tell him that Big Don wouldn’t be pulling the string on the pick. Turns out, the plan was to take a 7-5 Russian who, as it turns out, couldn’t play dead. Pop at least convinced son to skip on the Russian (although they did pick him up later.)

During the 2009 campaign, Mark Cuban called Donnie Nelson. He said that he had just heard on the radio that Nellie was going in for shoulder surgery and would be out 2 or 3 weeks (he and Nellie weren’t speaking by then). Donnie responded that he had just learned about that himself, and that Avery Johnson would be coaching the Mavs in Don’s absence.

If you recall, Don wound up “retiring” before the season’s end, turning the team over to Avery. Nellie was to stay around for a year as a “consultant.” Two years later, Don swept the Mavericks while coaching Golden State in the playoffs, a feat that earned him a $1million bonus.

It was at that point that adolescent behavior first reared its head. Mark Cuban accused Don Nelson of using insider knowledge in defeating the Mavericks. It was just like in peewee football when someone is accused of “playing the play.”

At about that time, Nellie took Cuban to court over deferred payments going back to the Ross Perot Jr. days. Nellie claimed Cuban owed him $6 million in deferred compensation. The arbiter agreed. Cuban still hasn’t paid up. He is paying $30,000 a month in interest on the money, while the legal fees he owes, some $800,000 continue to grow.

The most striking thing in the minutes from the hearing is “The Hug.” The following is an actual quote from the transcript.

[Arbitrator]: And so at the press conference, how -- did y'all shake hands?

[Cuban]: Yes, sir, and I hugged him back. I hugged him; he didn't hug me.

[Arbitrator]: Y'all both hugged each other?

[Cuban]: I hugged him. He didn't hug me back. I know a Nellie hug, and that was not a Nellie hug.

Kind of brings a tear to your eye, doesn’t it? I just hope my grandkids stay kids. They are so much more grown up than that.

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