Mark Cuban Wants LeBron James, Could Be Fined For Saying So

For a second, imagine a scenario where you are a teenager. You, like most teenagers, are attracted to teenagers of the opposite sex. Because said statement is so obvious, you don't see any problem with informing your parents that you are attracted to teenagers of the opposite sex. Unfortunately, your parents are really uptight and decide to ground you for even mentioning that to them.

Sounds ridiculous, right? Well, it's not really far off from what's happening right now with Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. In an interview with CNNMoney.com, Cuban was asked about LeBron James and said this.

"Come July 1st, yeah, of course, anybody would be interested in LeBron James, and if he leaves via free agency, then it's going to be tough," Cuban said. "If he does like I'm guessing, hoping he will, which is say, 'I'm not going to leave the Cavs high and dry,' if he decides to leave -- there's still a better chance he stays -- then he'll try to force a sign-and-trade, and that gives us a chance."    

In other words: "Yes, I would like to get the best player in basketball if he decides to leave his team, and I think we could maybe possibly have a chance to get him." To extend the analogy, it's like a teenage male telling his parents, "Yes, I would like to date that girl Jennifer, and if she leaves her boyfriend for whatever reason, I think she might like me."

But heavens forbid, there can be no tampering with LeBron James! Nevermind that the Knicks and several other teams have been talking about signing LeBron for two years. Nevermind that the subtext is completely obvious at this point. No, the NBA must crack down on people mentioning LeBron James' name when asked! And so, they're considering punishing Cuban and the Mavericks for his statements, according to the Dallas Morning News. 

A spokesman for the league said a review of the situation is underway. The NBA has a tampering rule that can result in a fine of up to $1 million and a loss of draft picks or other assets. But whether or not stating that everybody will be interested in James constitutes tampering is debatable.    

Actually, it's not debatable. It's not tampering. Here's hoping the NBA realizes that.