Michael Finley is the man

Well, the highest paid Dallas Maverick just won an NBA championship. The problem for Mavs fans, the DFW metroplex, and one Mark Cuban is that he doesn't really play for the Mavs. This, of course, is the one and only San Antonio Spur, Michael Finley. How could you not be happy for this guy? One of the biggest class acts in all of sports. It's all the more sweater that Mark Cuban and the Mavs are still paying him around $18 million for this year, after throwing him under the bus so they didn't have to pay a hefty NBA luxury tax, while the Spurs are paying him around $2 million and giving him the most memorable moment in his career, a NBA championship.

The Spurs arrived in SA-town this afternoon and Michael Finley spoke to the crowd. He told the cheering crowd that he was "just happy to be a part of this." "Last year I was crying and this year I was crying, too," the former Dallas Mavericks player said. Becoming an NBA champion felt "damn good," he said, adding that he had a message to those who questioned his move to San Antonio from Dallas: "To all those people who said, 'Why San Antonio?' I have to say, 'Why not San Antonio?'"

That's right Mavs fans. The face of your organization for the past decade just won an NBA championship with a rival team with everything that you strive to be, but you wouldn't know what winning a title feels like... I'm really, really, really sorry. Michael Finley is laughing all the way to the bank with your $18 million and a ring, son.

Source: My SA

Mark Cuban Wants Michael Finley?????

Just when I think Mark Cuban can't go any lower he ends up surprising me, and all of us. According to the Fort Worth based newspaper, the Star-Telegram, he said that he wants Michael Finley to consider coming back to the Dallas Mavericks after the 2007 expires. How ridiculous is this? Michael Finley, the backbone for the Mavs for the past decade, was basically stabbed in the back and was told to leave even though he would still be the highest paid Mav being that they still owe him around $18 million (more than good ol' dirk) for 2007. Good business decision Cubes.

This is Yahoo "NBA Rumors" take:

After all that's transpired between the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs guard Michael Finley – the Mavs releasing him after nine seasons to avoid paying a massive, self-induced salary-cap penalty, to Jason Terry's infamous punch to Finley's groin and Mavs owner Mark Cuban's reactionary endorsement to boo Finley – Cuban said he'd like Finley to consider a fresh start up north.
"I would hope that after his contract is over in San Antone, he would consider the Mavs as an option," Cuban said Monday. "I don't know that he would, but our entire organization has that much respect for him."
Finley has one season left on his deal, a player option, which calls for $18.6 million in Mavs money and $3.1 million from the Spurs.

Here are some interesting responses to this:

1. Oh now you want him. Well guess what? He's gonna get a Championship here in SA and he's goin to retire a champion here in SA. He deserves to retire from a classy organization, nothing less, and you Mr. Cuban are considerably less than that. The Mavs would have no class, if AJ weren't the head coach. Thanks but no thanks, Fin is here to stay...and win!

2. Mark Cuban has negated all of Avery Johnson's hard work, image-boosting, and character-building. Cuban has made would-be supporters into enemies, that's why everyone was going for Miami last year in the finals. I have heard over and over from Dallas fans that the Spurs "got the Mavs' trash" with Finley, and that he was "worthless." He has been put into a positive environment where he can excel as a player with San Antonio. I hope Finley retires with San Antonio.

Sources: Star-Telegram & Cuban wants Finley back with Mavs (Yahoo! Sports)