This is why sports writers everywhere are rooting for the first Lakers-Mavericks playoff series since 1988.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson continued his playful banter through the media with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban by saying about Cuban’s team before the team’s final regular-season game Thursday night: “It’s almost as good as money can buy — but not quite.”
The Lakers’ payroll is a league-leading $91.4 million this season … to the Mavericks’ $85.6 million.
Jackson smiled as he finished his delivery, which also included a crack about Cuban’s “sun-tanned face.” (Cuban showed up for the Mavericks-Clippers game Wednesday night red-faced, apparently from too much Southern California sun.)
Cuban had tried to get in Ron Artest’s head by telling ESPNDallas.com: “Anything that puts the ball in Ron Artest’s hands is always a good thing. And you can tell him that I’ll even take him out for ice cream. Of all the choices you have on that team, you want Ron Artest making the decisions in the triangle.”
To that, Jackson said: “I know Mark likes to prick the skin of people.”
The last time the teams met in the playoffs was before Jackson and Cuban were around. The Lakers beat the Mavericks in the 1988 Western Conference finals, winning Game 7 at home, then moving on to beat Detroit in seven games in the NBA Finals.
Reporting from Los Angeles
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