With the one of the greatest and special periods of my life behind me, I recently wrote a guest post for Mike Fisher’s Dallasbasketball.com about being close to and dealing  with the emotions as a passionate fan of a team and a franchise that has done so many things right for so many years … and has finally gotten rewarded. Thanks Mike for allowing me to re-post. Please be sure to check out Dallasbasketball.com and follow Mike on Twitter for great Mavs and general sports content.

On that emotional level, here are my 12 Final Championship thoughts.

1: I will never forget the feeling of being part of one of the most incredibly special moments in Dallas sports history.

2: I will always be affected by the feel of hugging someone you love, knowing that person has accomplished his ultimate professional dream.

3: Oh, and the feeling of having everyone you love around you when that dream is realized.

4: Then there is the feeling of being at one with a team and entire city. The intense emotions associated with riding through thousands of people who do not know you but are letting their love for you and your family wash over you and feeling the same way for them.

5: The feeling of intense emotional projection of failure … only to have victory snatch that feeling away within seconds.

6: The feeling of the last 10+ years being vindicated when the clock read 0.00.

7: The feeling of anxiety for the future of a team that you hope will remain a team for future championships.

8: The feel of holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy over my head!

9: The sadness of letting go these great moments as time moves forward.

10: The feeling of pride and joy for the employees of an entire organization at every level who put their heart and soul into making the above feelings a reality.

11: Being in that parade … in that mob … our car at one point swarmed by people … but feeling nothing but good feelings.

12: Singing “We Are The Champions” over and over and over again in my head … all month and maybe forever!

An NBA lockout is almost upon us.  Bottom line for the fans?  No basketball to entertain us.  Bottom line for the players?  No money to support lifestyles that in almost every case is well beyond yours, mine and every other working stiff.  NBA baby mamas across the country are getting nervous about their child support. We know that Lebron James will have more than enough put away to survive an extended NBA lockout but what about the average NBA Joe who has not been crowned king?

Almost half of all workers live paycheck to paycheck.  The NBA is no different. It may be even worse because many NBA players, like other major sport professional athletes,  generally come into their money at a young age without the maturity and life experience of making financial mistakes over the course of years and learning from them. Without life lessons, educated restraint and  people to trust, most will tend to spend to the level of their insolvency  It’s a biological drive. That might shock some.  The bottom line is that a person making  5 million a year without the benefit of the above will tend to spend all of it  and still cant make the rent when the music suddenly stops.  Between multiple mortgages, multiple expensive cars, multiple baby mamas and posses combined millions can dwindle quickly into the realm of dead ass broke.  Just ask Latrell Sprewell.

We all played our violins to death when we heard of Latrell Sprewell’s financial troubles. On Halloween 2004, Sprewell, who was in the final season of a $62-million five-year contract with the New York Knicks, said he was insulted by the Minnesota Timberwolve’s offer of a contract extension that was reportedly worth between $27 million and $30 million for three seasons. Sprewell stated, “I’ve got my family to feed.” That quote become a national moniker for the public perception of athletes as greedy, out of touch individuals. Apparently, Sprewell still can’t feed his family. His yacht was repossessed and two homes he owned went  into forclosure.

While there is certainly the stereotype of the financially irresponsible NBA athlete, no professional sport is immune.

Let’s take a look at some high profile athlete financial sob stories over the years:

1. No one my age can forget Jack”The Ripper” Clark , star player for the Boston Red Sox who filed for bankruptcy in 1992 in the middle of his second year of a three-year, $8.7 million contract with Boston; he listed $6.7 million in debts. Jack was a master of financial planning and prudent asset acquisition. His bankruptcy petition listed assets such as 18 automobiles, including a 1990 Ferrari that cost $717,000 and three 1992 Mercedes Benz cars costing between $103,000 and $143,000. He owed money on 17 of the automobiles and was liable for about $400,000 in Federal and state taxes. He had also lost about $1 million in a drag-racing venture. Sounds like Jack would have been more at home in the NBA. You can read about it here

2. Johnny Unitas, Hall of Fame quarterback for the Baltimore Colts, filed for bankruptcy in 1991 citing numerous failed business ventures in his petition These failed bits included bowling alleys, land deals and restaurants. He filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991.

3. Mike Tyson The name speaks for itself. Mike’s bankruptcy was highly publicized. Despite earning hundreds of millions during his boxing career, Mike kept it simple. His bankruptcy petition simply stated: ” I am unable to pay my bills”. According to federal court records, his liabilities totaled about $27 million. You can read that story here.

4. Dorothy Hamill, the women’s figure-skating gold medalist in the 1976 Winter Games, filed for bankruptcy after a series of financial setbacks. Hamill said she has experienced financial setbacks as a result of poor financial investment advice and management.

These are just a few of many athletes’ tales of woe. It is not a phenomenon limited to professional sports — just ask M.C Hammer. Prior to his declaring bankruptcy, it was made public that his day to day living expenses far exceeded his income of $33 million. If I am going to veer off to celebrities, I certainly have to mention Kim Basinger and Michael Jackson.

When the Toronto Star ran an article alleging that a shocking figure that 60 percent of NBA athletes “go broke” five years after retiring, did we not all pull out that very tiny violin we have reserved for such occasions?  While the NBA players union and the NBA have both disputed that assertion the point is made.  The article goes on to talk about all the people taking advantage of and “scamming” these athletes. While I have no doubt there is truth to this, I can also understand how such a generalization would make the NBA uncomfortable. It leaves you with the impression that 60 percent of NBA players are not only financially inept but also idiots in general. This is simply not true. While good business sense is often lacking, I view many of their mistakes as being more mistakes of trust, credibility and lack of life experience than anything else. Smart, busy people who can afford it, hire people with targeted expertise to help them. This allows them to focus on their expertise. Sometime mistakes are made and bad judgment is used in who we hire and hang out with. That is not unique to the NBA or professional sports. This happens to everyone. That is life. It happens all the time. It just does not make front page when we screw up. If there is any question at all as to how badly we as the general public screw up, just look at the personal bankruptcy filing statistics.

In order to get a perspective from the inside, I contacted Jordan Woy, a highly respected sports agent and a principal in the sports marketing/management firm of Schlegel Sports. Jordan has represented numerous high profile athletes

Here is what Jordon had to say:

I think there are several reasons why so many athletes “go broke”. First, whether it is a lottery winner, an athlete or a star entertainer, if they are not equipped with the knowledge on how to make and save money they are in trouble. When they didn’t earn it through disciplined business practices and they don’t have those skills they usually go through it quickly. Most lottery winners or athletes make a great deal of money in a short period of time. They start spending it on things that only go down in value (cars, jewelry, partying, entourage, etc) and start to evaporate the money they do have. They can carry this off until they stop earning big money. This is when the trouble starts. It is hard to believe that MC Hammer, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and now Ed McMahon are broke. These are people who earned hundreds of millions over time and it disappeared. Lavish spending and entourages were probably the downfall for the first three for sure.

Most athletes play for four to ten years if they are lucky. After they pay taxes (can be 40 to 50%) and agent fees and buy their first homes, cars, outfits, jewelry (plus, cars, clothes and jewelry for friends and family), they are left with very little. When they first “strike it rich” all of their longtime friends and family expect help. Most athletes feel obligated to help everyone out at first then they wise up. They also want to keep up with their teammates. If someone buys a Bentley, they have to buy one; if someone buys a $75,000 watch, they have to buy one to keep up the appearance. Then, of course, when the career ends and they are still living in a multi million dollar house, driving 3 expensive cars (and insurance), traveling in private planes and taking Limo’s when they go out on the town, reality sets in. The money dries up very quickly.

However, if athletes educate themselves, learn money management skills and make smart, safe investments along the way, they are usually in very good shape. After representing athletes for over 20 years, we call this our “life plan”. We take out clients on working vacations in the off season to places like Las Vegas, Cancun and on a cruise to the Bahamas to learn business networking. We have people from industries such as real estate, oil and gas, financial planning, credit repair, asset protection/estate planning, etc come to educate the players and their wives so they can learn about these business and also determine if they are interested in any of these industries for life after sports. One of the financial planners who comes always says most people die coming down from Mt. Everest not going up. The goal is for these athletes to get to their Mt. Everest AND to get down safely.

So, what do you think? Are the financial mistakes that athletes make any different than your mistakes or mine? They are certainly mistakes made with a higher downside.  When we hear these stories are we just unable to comprehend that someone could have that much money and spend it all? Can we learn lessons on how to live our lives from their highly publicized financial gaffes? Do we even care at all?

With all due respect to Latrell Sprewell and big time professional athletes,  we have our own families to feed…

My trip to Miami and South Beach for the NBA Finals has been unique for me on a couple levels.   The obvious is that  this Dallas Mavericks playoff run has been an incredible experience.  It has brought the city and fans together like no sporting event I have ever seen including the 2006 run.  It has infused the city of Dallas  with vigor and buzz.

The second is that the 2011 Finals mark a huge sobriety milestone for me in coming to Miami.  I did not come to the 2006 Finals in Miami.  I did not come, because I did not think I could handle it from a sobriety standpoint.   As I write this, I have been sober for over 4  years.  I was not sober in 2006 but I wanted to be.

In the years running up to the 2006 Finals, I was a regular visitor to South Beach.  I was also regularly drunk and hungover every night and morning I was here.  Sometimes wandering the streets in the early a.m because I was too drunk to remember where I was staying.   Once I got sober, I thought it best not to return to the scene of the crime and much stupidity for a while.  Too many temptations. Too much fire to burn me.   I stayed away for 5 years.  I took the same tact with Vegas where I also did a lot of damage to my body and wallet.  I finally did return to Vegas for a convention 3 years into my sobriety  It was a completely different experience sober. I considered it a milestone in my recovery.  I want to live life without  being afraid of myself and situations. Now comes South Beach.  Not a problem at all.  Spent Saturday night in my hotel room watching the tube.  Not because I was afraid of putting myself in the insanity pot but because I had no desire to.  Another milestone.   Hoping the Mavs achieve their milestone while I am here, bringing back the Larry O’Brien Trophy. I will have a Diet Coke to celebrate.

The  NBA Finals are in full force!  New hopes and  new players  driving the Mavs to what is hopefully their 1st NBA Championship.  But  on the social scene in Dallas, “singles season’’ never ends.   In preparation for the attendance surge at the after-game bars, clubs, see and be seen sports mackdaddies and 30k  douchebaggery,  I recently roamed the streets of Dallas checking out various nightspots while contemplating what he Larry O’Brien Trophy would look like gracing the corridors of the American Airlines Center.  I was stunned by the similarity between the Dallas singles scene and the the scene on the NBA hardcourt.  Life imitates art. Basketball imitates life. Especially in social interactions.

I saw all kinds (as I often do), not all of them enviable kinds. There were the 30K Millionaires, the Cougars, the GoldDiggers and the MackDaddy D-bags, and I saw all kinds of similarities between the social interactions I witnessed out on the singles scene and the great game of hoops.

Let’s lace up those high-tops for a walk onto the hardwood court of Dallas (and note that I believe it’s largely the same for any big-city nightlife where a basketball season is played out). There are no points for second place. The winners hit nothing but net while the losers head home alone and whine the next morning about how they gave their best. The only way you can only get a “clear path” to the basket” view of all this is if you are living outside the 3-point line.

To watch this game – and to maybe be more than a baseline season-ticket-holder — I had to re-learn all I knew about basketball and how it applied to the nightlife scene. Once I had finished learning the rules and different offensive (sometimes very offensive!) and defensive sets, a night out in Dallas became more entertaining than watching the NBA Finals.

Well, almost

In order to see what I saw and know what I know you have to have a basic understanding of basketball “terminology” as it applies to both the NBA and the nightclub scene. Once you have this understanding you will never look at a bar or nightclub in the same light. Here are some of the terms you need to understand:

“Palming”: The act of adjusting oneself in a nightclub right in front of your buddy/wingman and the hot girl you are talking to. This is a change in possession foul and you must now transfer possession of the hot girl to your buddy.

“Slam-dunk”: The last drunk girl in the bar at 2 a.m.

“Full Court Press’’: Within 15 minutes of meeting a girl in a bar you have given her your phone number, certified financial statement, recent HIV test and two round-trip tickets to Vegas for the next day. You’ve even sent her flowers… while still in the bar.

“Flagrant Foul”: At the very moment the hottest girl in the bar is handing you her telephone number, your best buddy, say, picks his nose. This is a two-shot foul. You retain possession. Your buddy must buy two shots of any drink you choose for you and any girl you want the rest of the night.

“Double-Double”: You figure it out…

“Triple Double”: U DA MAN!

“Clear Path Foul:’’ You picked up the hottest girl in the club. She has told you how much she wants you. You are on your way back to your place. She pukes all over your car.

“Fast Break”: You’ve just arrived, you have not even valeted the car yet and your buddy is coming out of the nightclub, hot girl on his arm.

“Traveling”: You live in Dallas. She lives in Fort Worth. This is a change-of-possession foul – but only if your buddy doesn’t care where she lives.

“24-Second Violation’’: You meet a hot girl. You spend the first 25 seconds talking about your millions in the bank, new Maserati, your listing on the Forbes 400 and your Gulfstream while your three roommates look on. This is also known as a “30K Millionaire Violation.” It is a turnover – she turns herself over to the next guy in the bar who actually owns a Maserati or Gulfstream.

“Double Dribble”: You forget to tie your shoes. Just as you are about to hand your girl her drink, you trip and spill both drinks on her. This is a change-in-possession foul as your buddy because your buddy uses it against you. She agrees and goes home with him.

“Back-Court Violation”: Your posse is in the club. You have drink in hand when you realize your driver was denied entrance because he wore tennis shoes, thus violating the dress-to-impress code.

“Alley-Oop”: Your buddy generously hands off to you that last drunk girl in the bar at 2 am. You are hoping to convert to a “slam dunk.’’

“Moving Screen”: Your buddy is not getting near that girl. She is going home with you!

“Blocking Foul”: Just as the hottest girl in the club is handing you her phone number … this is gonna be good. … your buddy approaches and and is nice enough to report that he found your wedding ring on the floor.

“Offensive Foul”: You had Italian for dinner. You’re about to kiss your girl goodnight — on the cheek, because you’re a gentleman — when you burp just a little. Is that a piece of spaghetti that’s landed on her cheek? Another turnover. To anybody. As long as it’s not you.

“Technical Foul”: She told you she was 21 when you bought her a drink. This is an ejection. A one-game suspension. And a timeout. … maybe to be spent in a 4×6 with bars.

“Offensive Rebound”: It is not your fault your buddy can’t close.

“Tip Off”: You spy something on her neck. It is suspicious. It appears that the attractive woman you are looking at has an Adam’s Apple.’’

“Two-Minute Warning”: It’s last call. You struck out. Your designated driver has left and you have no cab fare. Time for more “traveling.’’ Because you’re walking home.

There’s the rules of the game. And unlike the NBA regular season, which must come to again, in the nightlife scene, every weekend brings a playoff round!

©2011 Brian Cuban