League Hits Dallas’ Cuban With Big Fine

The NBA tried ruining Mark Cuban’s first anniversary as owner of the Dallas Mavericks by fining him $250,000 Thursday for taunting officials and practically daring the league to punish him.

But Cuban won’t even allow one of the largest fines in league history to spoil his fun.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “There is no way we could spend $250,000 to get this type of promotion for the Mavs.

“The articles will be mostly the same: ‘Mark Cuban was fined again, crazy guy, but the Mavs are playing well and are in the playoff hunt.’ And tons of people will buy Mavs’ merchandise and more will come to the games--just like the last time I was fined.”

In a one-sentence statement, the NBA said only that the billionaire was being punished “for his outbursts and actions concerning game officials” after Dallas’ 107-104 loss to Detroit on Wednesday night.

This is the fourth time this season he has been punished for the same thing. The previous fines came in an eight-day span in November and totaled $45,000. His total tab of $295,000 comes out to more than $800 for every day he’s owned the team.

“I haven’t received a negative e-mail yet from fans, and that is what matters most,” he said.

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Dallas Coach Don Nelson had his cancerous prostate removed and doctors found no sign that the disease had spread.

Nelson will remain at the University of Utah Hospital for up to five days, then return to his Dallas home for several days. He is expected to be gone from the team at least six weeks.

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The Miami Heat activated guard Anthony Carter from the injured list and put forward Don MacLean on the injured list. . . . Guard John Starks was suspended for two games by Utah Coach Jerry Sloan for disciplinary reasons. Sloan declined to elaborate, saying the suspension was “just team policy.”