Cuban Fined as Mavs Protest Denied, But the Impact is Clear

Dallas Mavs Coach Rick Carlisle Believes The Protest Will Improve The Game In the Long Run.

DALLAS- NBA commissioner Adam Silver fined Dallas Mavericks owner $500,000 for "his public criticism and detrimental conduct regarding NBA officiating,'' the league has announced.

The NBA also denied the Mavs' protest of their loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 22, after which Cuban confronted the referees on the court and criticized them on Twitter and while speaking to reporters.

Some may consider this a loss but it’s about the bigger picture for Cuban. The fine is understandable and predictable, as is Cuban's usual habit of matching that amount with a charitable donation. Additionally, should they have won the protest, the Mavs didn’t even plan on following through with playing the final 9.5 seconds.

Yes, Cuban will write a check but in the grand scheme, consider this a victory in Cuban’s fight for better officiating. The point wasn't to replay the final seconds of the game in hopes for a win, the real goal was to shed light on an issue - and Cuban has succeeded.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle agrees. When asked about the NBA’s ruling Carlisle said:

“This situation and set of circumstances will improve the game, long term,” Carlisle said. “And that’s a good thing.”

Cuban still believes the protest was a positive step in his decades-long effort at vying for improvements for the training and structuring of the NBA’s officiating.

“I’m not saying it’s all against the Mavs,'' he said recently. "It’s just in general, this is a training issue. This is a management issue. Is it as bad as back in Dairy Queen? It literally could be worse (than that).''