Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban never has been one to hide his displeasure with NBA officials, but it appears he went to great lengths to look into the league’s referees following the 2006 NBA Finals.
According to a report from John Canzano of The Oregonian, Cuban consulted with a retired FBI agent after his Mavs were ousted by the Miami Heat in a controversial six-game series. Cuban reportedly was so livid with the officiating that allowed Dwayne Wade to shoot 97 free throws during the series, including an average of 18.3 attempts over the final four games, that he considered suing the league.
Canzano reports that Cuban reached out to Warren Flagg, a 20-year FBI veteran who now runs his own investigation and security firm, after the series to look into the officiating.
“Cuban asked me what he should do,” Flagg said, per Canzano. “I told him, ‘Sue and you’ll win your case,’ but he knew he’d be killing the Golden Goose.”
When asked about his discussions with Flagg, Cuban said: “I don’t remember.”
Earlier in the 2006 playoffs, Cuban twice criticized the NBA for how it selected officials for the postseason, and he was fined $450,000 total.
