The Los Angeles Lakers have long been the premier franchise in the NBA, but are currently going through the worst stretch in team history.
This has led to a ton of frustration from within the organization as well as outside with fans, but celebration from other teams. One of the most outspoken has always been Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
Cuban has always had no issues speaking about anything he has problems with and has gone at it with the Lakers in the past. And now with all the drama the Lakers have dealt with the last couple of seasons and especially this offseason so far, Cuban couldn’t stop himself from admitting he’s enjoying what he’s seeing.
Cuban was recently asked about the current state of the Lakers and said that the more screwed up they are, the happier he is, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN:
“The more screwed up they are, the happier I am,” Cuban told ESPN. “But I feel that way about every other franchise not in Dallas. We all go through it. Every franchise goes through cycles, and when your down cycle hits you, it’s never fun.”
Cuban is a competitor and he wants to be the best. He reached the pinnacle when the Mavericks won the 2011 NBA Finals, going through the Lakers on that road to the franchise’s first championship. His franchise has come under difficult times on the court since, but now seem to be back on an upward trajectory.
Despite Cuban’s competitiveness, he still has a soft spot for Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, who he called a ‘great’ person:
“I feel bad for Jeanie, personally, because she’s a great person,” Cuban said. “I have no sympathy for the Lakers any more than they had sympathy for us.”
Owners in any sport always have a special relationship. There are very few people in the world who go through what they do and understand their experience. Buss has always garnered great respect across the league and even someone like Cuban can’t take that away from her.
With all that has gone on this summer, Buss’ leadership has come into question and some have wondered whether she is capable of leading the Lakers back to glory. Cuban obviously doesn’t want to see that happen, especially if it comes at the expense of his own Mavericks.
Despite Buss’ public image taking a hit, she still has the respect of her fellow owners.