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After Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he would consider drafting Baylor's Brittney Griner, the age-old debate took off. Can the girls compete with the boys? Nancy Lieberman has a better perspective than most. "There's not a man who would sell his soul and let her come down and dunk on him. They are going to knock her on her ass," Lieberman, the first woman to play in a men's professional league, said Wednesday. Since the 6-8 Griner plays the post, there is no way that she can physically compete with NBA players, Lieberman, one of the game's all-time greats, said. USA Today Sports

Dallas Mavericks, Draft, Mark Cuban, Nancy Lieberman, Brittney Griner 

Even so, Lieberman, who played in the USBL in the late 1980s, said if Griner called her tomorrow for advice about the NBA, she would tell her: "Do it, girl. You can do this. You should go out there if you're afforded the opportunity because how many people in their lifetime would? You're going to do what nobody has ever done." USA Today Sports

Dallas Mavericks, Draft, Mark Cuban, Nancy Lieberman, Brittney Griner 

Then there was UConn coach Geno Auriemma who said Cuban shouldn't waste his draft pick on June 27. "I think it would be a sham," Auriemma said Wednesday. "The fact that a woman could actually play right now in the NBA and compete successfully against the level of play that they have is absolutely ludicrous." "If Brittney Griner tries to make it to an NBA team, I think it would be a public relations thing," Auriemma said on a Final Four teleconference with reporters. Cuban is a financial genius, Auriemma said, but "his genius would take a huge hit if he drafted Brittney Griner." USA Today Sports

Dallas Mavericks, Draft, Mark Cuban, Nancy Lieberman, Geno Auriemma, Brittney Griner 

Cuban reiterated his interest in Griner on Wednesday. "We evaluate every draft eligible player on the planet," Cuban told USA TODAY Sports in an email when asked to respond to Auriemma's comments. "The chance of any college graduate selected at the end of the draft making a roster is very, very small. We wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't consider everyone. "As I told the media (Tuesday), she would have to excel in workouts to get drafted. I have no problem giving her that opportunity. I hope she gives it a shot. "Nothing harms an organization or company more than a closed mind." USA Today Sports

Dallas Mavericks, Draft, Mark Cuban, Nancy Lieberman, Geno Auriemma, Brittney Griner 

Mark Cuban understands marketing. He understands (and admits) how good stars like Shaquille O’Neal and Phil Jackson are for the league. But that doesn’t mean he could resist taking a dig at his old rival Tuesday night when Jackson was in Staples Center to honor Shaquille O’Neal at his number retirement. “I have great respect for Phil, Jeanie’s husband as he’ll be now be known. Someone’s got to be the first housewife of the Lakers,” Cuban said. NBCSports.com

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson, Coaching, Mark Cuban 

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would be willing to give Baylor women's star Brittney Griner the opportunity to prove she could play in the NBA. Cuban said he would consider selecting Griner, a 6-foot-8 three-time All-American and Big 12 player of the year, in the second round of the NBA draft. If the Mavs don't draft her, Cuban said he would have "no problem whatsoever" inviting Griner to try out for a spot on Dallas' summer league team. "If she is the best on the board, I will take her," Cuban said before the Mavs' Tuesday night game against the Los Angeles Lakers. "I've thought about it. I've thought about it already. Would I do it? Right now, I'd lean toward yes, just to see if she can do it. You never know unless you give somebody a chance, and it's not like the likelihood of any late-50s draft pick has a good chance of making it." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Brittney Griner 

Griner would love the opportunity. "I would hold my own! Lets do it." she wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night in response to Cuban. ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Brittney Griner 

Cuban said it's difficult to evaluate whether Griner could play in the NBA because of the caliber of her competition, comparing it to scouting players from small schools. However, Cuban said he was absolutely serious about at least extending an invitation for Griner to try out this summer. "She'd still have to make the team," Cuban said. "I'm not going to carry her just to carry her. I don't think, anyways. But I certainly wouldn't be opposed to giving her the opportunity." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Brittney Griner 

David Brickley: "He was my mentor, but not in the way you’d expect. Even now I think back to things he did, and I do the opposite." - Mark Cuban Twitter @DavidjBrickley

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban 

He was also content with the sellout crowd’s rough treatment of Lamar Odom, who was booed relentlessly the second he started to take off his warm-ups, and every time he touched the ball. “Absolutely,” Cuban said before Thursday’s game against the Pacers, which he’ll watch before flying out in the morning to rejoin his wife and kids. “I was proud of the way everybody received Jet. Proud of the energy the crowd had [Tuesday night]. You could feel it through the TV. We felt it in the Caymans.” ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Lamar Odom, Mark Cuban 

Odom said he would let "nature take its course" instead of attempting to initiate a conversation with Cuban. Odom also questioned whether Cuban really had hard feelings for him. "See what someone says, I can't see what's in your heart and in your mind or what you're thinking," Odom said. "So I can say, 'F--- that garbage can,' but I love it. And you wouldn't ever know, because every time I come up to you I say, 'F--- that garbage can,' you know what I'm saying? "That would be a conversation for me and Mark to have, just me and Mark." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Lamar Odom, Mark Cuban 

Odom's scoring average has actually dipped even lower this season to 4.1 points per game, but he plays a significant role on a potential contending team as a solid rebounder and defender off the bench. He said he's "grown" since he left Dallas and returned to Los Angeles. "At the end of the day, I'm happy or I'm in the pursuit of happiness," Odom said. "You know what I'm saying? So I wouldn't really waste my energy not to like someone. Everybody here treated me fair." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Lamar Odom, Mark Cuban 

That’s part of the learning process. And Cuban believes Terry’s development in Dallas should be an example for Mayo. “They’re completely different players, but I think O.J. can learn a lot from Jet,” Cuban said. “Jet really got better when he became catch and shoot or one dribble and shoot. I think that’s something that O.J. needs to add to his game, and I’ve told that to him.” ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Jason Terry 

Mayo’s work ethic is one thing that can’t be questioned. That’s the primary reason Cuban believes that Mayo, who is extremely likel to exercise his right to be a free agent again this summer, can improve drastically. “What I love about O.J. is nobody works harder to get better,” Cuban said. “Not just on shooting, which everybody works on, but his knowledge of the game, his dedication to the game. It’s really, really surprised me how committed he is.” ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Jason Terry 

And he's played well lately, making eight of 10 shots in two of the past three games, with a 7-for-11 performance between them. If the point guard play were better, Dirk could be even more effective. "What we're seeing now with Dirk is what we can expect to see next year and the year after, if he stays healthy," Cuban told reporters recently. "And the year after that. "Is Kevin Garnett a role player? Is Tim Duncan a role player? Do you think Tim Duncan is going to be a role player next year? You think Kevin Garnett is going to be a role player next year? And those guys are based more on athleticism than Dirk is, you know?" ESPN.com

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Mark Cuban, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett 

Dwain Price: “He’ll be a Maverick for life. He’s part of the family.’’ -- #Mavs owner Mark Cuban on #Celtics guard Jason Terry Twitter @DwainPrice

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Jason Terry 

Jason Terry has been a human pinata for the better part of the last three days, subjected to ridicule for getting posterized by LeBron James in the Heat's win over the Celtics in Boston Sunday. Many observers believe Terry -- just like when the Pistons' Brandon Knight got dunked on by the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan -- simply should have gotten out of the way as James was about to catch the alley-oop. Cuban vehemently disagrees with that assertion. "More credit for Jet. I'm of the opposite category," the Mavs owner said last night. It's the gutless who worry about what they look like in a poster and it's the real guys, the real players who have no problem playing the game. "Like I said before, I give credit to Brandon Knight, I give credit to Jet. You do your job and not care about the posters or the tweets. Those are the kind of guys teams wants." Newsday

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Mark Cuban, Jason Terry, Brandon Knight 

Jeff Caplan: Carlesimo on Cuban on D-Will: "I’m sure [Williams] understands you’re not going to expect intelligent statements from Mark anyhow.” Twitter @Caplan_NBA

Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Mark Cuban, PJ Carlesimo 

Mike Mazzeo: #Nets not viewed as a title contender and barely any room to improve. Cuban: "That's the position we didn't wanna be in." Twitter @MazzESPN

Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Mark Cuban 

Fast forward to last Wednesday night's "Tonight Show" when Cuban produced a letter he received from Trump way back in 2004 P.T. (that's pre-Twitter). Cuban's reality show "The Benefactor" – an obvious spinoff of Trump's "The Apprentice" – had just been cancelled. Trump wrote to Cuban, "When I initially called you to congratulate you on The Benefactor – little did you or I realize how disastrous and embarrassing it would turn out to be for you. If you ever decide to do another show, please call me and I will be happy to lend a helping hand." Yahoo! Sports

Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Donald Trump