# Nellie seeks $6 million Mavs owe him



## Tersk (Apr 9, 2004)

*By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News * Former Mavericks coach Don Nelson has taken an NBA owner to court before, and it might happen again with Mark Cuban. 

Nelson apparently is willing to pursue whatever measures are needed to recoup as much as $6 million in deferred payments earned before Ross Perot Jr. sold the franchise to Cuban in 2000. 

Nelson, now coach of the Golden State Warriors, was reached over the weekend and said he may have to pursue legal avenues to get the money that he says he is owed. 

"Mark Cuban has been very good to me and my family, but he doesn't like me very much," Nelson said. "I've asked nicely for it [the deferred payment]. We'll see what happens from here." 

Nelson worked for the Mavericks from 1997 until June, mostly as head coach. He also had a contract to be a consultant to the organization for the next three years, but he surrendered that deal when he was hired by the Warriors. 

Cuban declined to comment. 

The root of the problem apparently stems from wording in Nelson's original coaching contract with the team. Nelson wanted some of that contract deferred for his retirement. Before he got back into coaching with the Warriors, he asked for the deferred money. 

"There's no question that there was money that was to be paid over time in the contract Nellie signed during the Ross Perot ownership," said Frank Zaccanelli, a minority partner with the Mavericks in the '90s who negotiated the contract with Nelson. "When we added the coaching responsibilities, Nellie wanted the money deferred, and it was a big help to the cash flow for the franchise. 

"Now, what happened to it from there, I don't know." 

Nelson admitted that "it wasn't easy going" in his relationship with Cuban in his final seasons with the Mavericks. The two had a bitter negotiation for Nelson's contract in 2003, and the line of communication was never the same. Their relationship deteriorated and their contact was minimal during Nelson's last two years in Dallas. 

In a strange twist, Nelson now works for Golden State owner Chris Cohan, whom Nelson sued after he parted ways with the Warriors in 1995. It was 2 ½ years before Nelson won that case. 

Nelson made $5 million a year when he was coaching the Mavericks, but he handed the reins to Avery Johnson with 18 games left in the 2004-05 season. Cuban continued to pay Nelson's coaching contract until it expired July 1. 

If the situation is not resolved, it would likely go to an arbitrator.


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## StackAttack (Mar 15, 2006)

I don't know much about how this stuff works, but if Perot's the one who owes him why is action being pursued against Cubes?


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

> Cuban continued to pay Nelson's coaching contract until it expired July 1.


 :boohoo:


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## edwardcyh (Dec 13, 2005)

StackAttack said:


> I don't know much about how this stuff works, but if Perot's the one who owes him why is action being pursued against Cubes?


Technically, when a company (or an individual like Mark Cuban) buys out another comapny (Dallas Mavericks), he is buying out everything, including debts and outstanding contracts.

For example, when AT&T Wireless sold out to Cingular, all of the existing AT&T customers, who are bound by contract, were suppose to continue receiving their great discounts with Cingular.... 

hmmm.... nevermind. I think most of the customers got shafted in the scenario.... :whoknows: 

:biggrin:


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## xray (Feb 21, 2005)

> *A bad precedent?* Johnson said he was disappointed with the reported $18.5 million settlement NBA commissioner David Stern arbitrated between the New York Knicks and their former coach Larry Brown.
> 
> Brown was due about $40 million under terms of his contract, but the league decided the matter and reduced the payment.
> 
> ...


 :raised_ey


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## edwardcyh (Dec 13, 2005)

LOL...

Love that WWDD bit....

Classic Cuban!


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