Termine » layer he decided he didnt want to p

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Latest on the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro (all times local):12:30 a.m.Michael Phelps now has 25 medals in all -- and three more races in Rio to add to his almost unimaginable total.On a golden night at the pool on Tuesday, Phelps earns the 20th and 21st Olympic gold medals of his staggering career.He won the 200-meter butterfly and came back about an hour later to anchor the United States to victory in the 4x200 freestyle relay.Phelps has four other medals -- two silver and two bronze.---12:30 a.m.The quarterfinals for the Olympic womens soccer tournament are set.The defending champion United States will play Sweden in Brasilia, reuniting the Americans with former coach Pia Sundhage.In the other matches Friday: China will play Germany in Salvador, Canada faces France in Sao Paulo and Brazil will play Australia in Belo Horizonte.---12 a.m.Michael Phelps has claimed the 21st gold medal of his career, anchoring the United States to a dominating victory in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.About an hour after winning gold medal No. 20 in the 200 butterfly, Phelps completed his grueling double with a triumphant four laps of the pool.The result was no longer in doubt by the time Phelps dove in. Conor Dwyer, Townley Haas and Ryan Lochte made sure of that, handing off a commanding lead to the most decorated athlete in Olympic history.Phelps essentially spent the next 100 seconds or so on a victory lap, the crowds cheers growing louder with each stroke. He touched in 7 minutes, 0.66 seconds, a full body length ahead of Britains James Guy.The British earned silver in 7:03.13, while Japan took the bronze in 7:03.50.When it was done, Phelps simply sat on the starting block, thoroughly exhausted. He motioned at his neck as though he had nothing left to give.---12 a.m.Before a sellout crowd numbering more than 42,000, host country Brazil played to a 0-0 draw with South Africa on Tuesday night at Amazonia Arena in Manaus.The fans chanted for Brazilian star Marta, who has drawn attention for her stellar play while Brazils men have struggled at the Olympics.Brazil had already secured a spot in the womens soccer quarterfinals before the match in the city known as the gateway to the Amazon. South Africa had already been eliminated from the Olympics.In the other late match on Tuesday, Sweden played to a scoreless draw with China in Brasilia.---11:55 p.m.MEDAL ALERT: Michael Phelps and the United States have won the 4x200-meter freestyle relay at the Rio Olympics, giving Phelps the 21st gold medal of his career. Britain wins the silver and Japan takes the bronze.---11:50 p.m.MEDAL ALERT: United States wins 4x200-meter freestyle relay, giving Michael Phelps his 21st Olympic gold medal.---11:40 p.m.The Iron Lady is piling up quite a medal collection in Rio.Katinka Hosszu of Hungary claimed her third gold of the Olympics with a victory in the 200-meter individual medley on Tuesday night.Hosszu added to her wins in the 400 IM and 100 backstroke with a time of 2 minutes, 6.58 seconds.This has been an Olympic of redemption for Hosszu, a long-time star at the world championships who always seemed to come up short on the biggest stage.Not anymore.Siobhan-Marie OConnor of Britain challenged Hosszu all the way but had to settle for silver. Maya DiRado of the United States held on for the bronze.---11:35 p.m.MEDAL ALERT: Katinka Hosszu of Hungary has claimed her third gold medal of the Rio Olympic with a victory in the womens 200-meter individual medley. Siobhan-Marie OConnor of Britain takes the silver, while the bronze goes to Maya DiRado of the United States.---11:30 p.m.Louisa Cadamuro scored a pair of goals and France defeated New Zealand 3-0 on Tuesday night in Salvador.Eugenie Le Sommer also scored for Les Bleus, who finish second in Group G to the United States.The third-ranked French will play No. 10 Canada in a quarterfinal match on Friday in Sao Paulo.Canada defeated Germany 2-1 in Brasilia Tuesday to finish atop Group F.---11:15 p.m.A French tennis player has been kicked off the countrys Olympic team for violating team rules.Benoit Paire, who was seeded 16th at the Rio Games, was asked to pack his bags, French tennis federation official Arnaud Di Pasquale told TV broadcaster France 2, according to the LEquipe newspaper.Di Pasquale did not explain exactly what Paire did, but did say the player had been warned repeatedly.Paire lost in the third round of singles at the Olympics on Tuesday, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) against Fabio Fognini of Italy.---11:15 p.m.As a former Olympic gold medalist in the ring, Russias head boxing coach Alexander Lebzyak is used to fighting -- but he may not like his newest opponent.Lebzyaks no-nonsense criticism of Russian fighters poor performances in Rio, accusing them of lacking the will to win, has drawn the ire of Ramzan Kadyrov, the martial arts-loving strongman leader of the Russian region of Chechnya.On Instagram, his preferred way of communicating with the public, Kadyrov says Lebzyak has been insulting Russian fighters and treating them like children from a kindergarten.Kadyrov blames Lebzyak and his staff for the defeat of Chechen fighter Adlan Abdurashidov in the lightweight last 16. Kadyrov posted a picture of himself with Abdurashidov, calling him a brother.---11:05 p.m.The Olympic tennis mens doubles semifinals are set, and among those closing in on a medal are Rafael Nadal and Marc Lopez of Spain, and Steve Johnson and Jack Sock of the United States.Johnson and Sock advanced Tuesday by beating the eighth-seeded duo of Roberto Bautista Agut and David Ferrer of Spain 6-4, 6-2.Next up for the Americans is a match against No. 5 Florin Mengea and Horia Tecau of Romania, who eliminated No. 3 Marcelo Melo and Bruno Soares of Brazil 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.On the other half of the draw, Nadal and Lopez defeated Oliver Marach and Alexander Peya of Austria 6-3, 6-1, setting up a semifinal against No. 7 Daniel Nestor and Vasek Pospisil of Canada. That duo beat Fabio Fognini and Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-3, 6-1.---11 p.m.Katie Ledecky is on her way to an Olympic feat thats only been done one other time.Ledecky held off Swedens Sarah Sjostrom to win gold in the 200-meter freestyle Tuesday night at the Rio Olympics.Fifth at the first flip turn, Ledecky powered to the front on the third lap and grittily held off a hard-charging Sjostrom coming to the wall.Ledecky touched in 1 minute, 53.73 seconds. The silver went to Sjostrom in 1:54.08, while early leader Emma McKeon faded to the bronze in 1:54.92.World-record holder Federica Pelligrini of Italy was fourth.Ledecky is trying to become only the second female after Debbie Meyer in 1968 to capture the three longest freestyle events at a single Olympics. Ledecky now has the 200 and 400 titles, and shes an overwhelming favorite to win the 800.---10:40 p.m.Michael Phelps made up for one of the few losses in his Olympic career.Now, hes got an even 20 gold medals.Phelps avenged his defeat at the 2012 London Games by winning the 200-meter butterfly on Tuesday night, holding off Japans Masato Sakai by a mere four-hundredths of a second.The victory clearly delighted Phelps, who held up one finger, then sat on a lane rope and egged on the roaring crowd at the Olympic Aquatic Stadium.Hed had this one marked on his calendar ever since he came out of retirement. Four years ago, Phelps misjudged his finish -- gliding a little too long after his final stroke -- and was edged at the wall by South African Chad le Clos.This time, it was Phelps out front -- barely -- while Le Clos could only manage a fourth-place showing. Hungarys Tamas Kenderesi claimed the bronze.He has one more race Tuesday night, anchoring the U.S. team in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay.---10:15 p.m.Defending Olympic champion Nathan Adrian barely advanced in the preliminaries of the 100-meter freestyle at the Rio Olympics.He wasnt taking any chances in the semifinals Tuesday night.Competing in lane eight, Adrian posted the fastest time out of 16 swimmers, sending him to Wednesdays final with a much more customary position in the center of the pool.The biggest cheers at the Olympic Aquatic Center were for Brazils Marcelo Chierighini, who advanced to the final with the eighth-best time.---10:30 p.m.MEDAL ALERT: Michael Phelps has won the 200-meter butterfly at the Rio Olympics for the 20th gold medal of his career. Masato Sakai of Japan claimed the silver, while Hungarys Tamas Kenderesi earned the bronze. Defending Olympic champion Chad le Clos of South Africa was fourth.---10:25 p.m.MEDAL ALERT: Katie Ledecky of the United States has captured her second gold medal of the Rio Olympics, winning the 200-meter freestyle. Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden claims the silver and Emma McKeon of Australia takes the bronze.---10:15 p.m.The tiny island kingdom of Tonga is hoping more tourists will visit after its chiseled flag-bearer became an unexpected sensation at the Olympics opening ceremony.Pita Taufatofua carried Tongas flag wearing a traditional mat and with his bare chest oiled and shining. The taekwondo competitor won the hearts of many and has been in hot demand since, even making an appearance on NBCs Today show.Tourism Tonga spokeswoman Seini Taumoepeau said in an email Tuesday theres been lots more online interest in the Pacific nation since Taufatofuas appearance Friday in Rio de Janeiro, and she hopes that will result in increased tourist numbers over the coming months.She said thousands more people have been clicking on a website promoting Tongan vacations and hundreds more have viewed the kingdoms Facebook page.---10 p.m.Four-time gold medalist Michael Johnson says the booing of athletes at the Olympics would stop if drug cheats were kept out of the games.The former 200- and 400-meter runner blames the IOC for allowing previous drug violators into the Rio de Janeiro Games.Johnson says nobody wants athletes to be booed at the Olympic Games, thats not what this is about.He says the answer is to keep athletes who have been doping out of the Olympics and out of the sport, and handing down appropriate punishment.Johnson says the problem is on the IOC, its their event.IOC President Thomas Bach told The Associated Press on Monday he will try again to push through a rule barring any athletes who have received a serious doping sanction from competing in future Olympics. The proposed rule has been struck down twice by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on grounds it amounts to a second punishment for a single offense.---9:55 p.m.Michael Phelps will have a shot at two more gold medals in one night at the Rio Olympics.Phelps is anchoring the U.S. team in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. Conor Dwyer leads off, followed by Townley Haas, Ryan Lochte and Phelps.The most decorated athlete in Olympic history will be in two finals on Tuesday, going in the 200 butterfly about an hour before he comes back in the relay. Phelps has a shot at the 20th and 21st gold medals of his career, having already carried the Americans to victory in the 4x100 free relay.---9:25 p.m.Two windows have been shattered when rocks, or possibly gunfire, hit a bus carrying journalists at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics. There were no injures.Rio organizing committee spokesman Mario Andrada says we dont know yet if the bus was shot, or it was a stone.Andrada says three of the 12 journalists on the bus on Tuesday suffered minor injuries. Photos showed two shattered windows, with tiny chards of glass remaining in place.A witness on the bus said the occupants hit the floor when they heard a popping noice.The bus was traveling from the northern venue cluster of Deodoro to the main Olympic Park in the western suburb of Barra da Tijuca.---9:20 p.m.China earned its third weightlifting gold of the Rio Olympics on Tuesday as Shi Zhiyong took victory in the mens 69-kilogram category.Shi lifted 162kg in the snatch and 190 in the clean and jerk for a total of 352, but failed on a world record attempt with his last lift, which would have meant a total of 360. After dropping that weight, he gave roars of disappointment before celebrating the win with his coach.Silver went to Turkeys Daniyar Ismayilov, who used to represent Turkmenistan, with 351, while Kyrgyzstan won only its fourth Olympic medal ever thanks to Izzat Artykovs 339.Last years world silver medalist Oleg Chen did not compete because Russias team was banned for bringing weightlifting into disrepute with numerous doping cases.---9:15 p.m.Catalina Usme scored on a free kick at a tight angle in the 90th minute to pull Colombia into a 2-all draw with the United States on Tuesday night.The top-ranked U.S. still finished atop Group F for good position in the womens soccer quarterfinals at the Rio Games.Usme also scored in the 26th minute to give the Colombians an early 1-0 lead. It was the teams first-ever Olympic goal, and first-ever goal against the United States.Teenager Mallory Pugh became the youngest player to score for the United States in an Olympics a 59th-minute goal that gave the Americans a 2-1 lead. Crystal Dunn also scored for the defending champions.The top-ranked U.S. womens team, the reigning World Cup champion, is vying for its fourth straight Olympic gold medal.---AP Summer Games website: http://summergames.ap.org Stitched China Jerseys . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Cheap College Basketball Jerseys . Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta. http://www.cheapncaachinajerseys.com/ . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. China Jerseys Cheap . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Wholesale China Jerseys Online . Its an influence in football and a big part of the game. IN A LOW-SLUNG building in Oklahoma Citys Bricktown neighborhood, just a day before the injury-riddled Mavericks began their playoff series against a Thunder team that would dismiss them in five games, a surreal scene unfolded at the Dollhouse Lounge, a burlesque-themed nightclub. (The clubs Facebook page: Win or lose, we still booze.) Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was hanging out with a group that included two of his injured players -- Chandler Parsons and David Lee -- as well as comedian Amy Schumer and her entourage. Schumer had headlined at Chesapeake Energy Arena that night, and knew Lee from his time in New York. She would later share a photo of the Mavs headliners, her friend and opening act Rachel Feinstein and herself, captioning it Pals on Instagram.All in the name of good fun, Cuban and Parsons kidded each other for much of the night, with nothing off limits. Not even the most delicate of all topics: Parsons next contract. You might have thought that Parsons, who planned to opt out of the final season of his contract, would have cause for concern after undergoing a second right knee surgery in two years. However, he was certain that hed command max offers if he tested a historically player-friendly market.A young man with much at stake, out with his boss, might tread carefully. But to expect that is to misunderstand entirely the nature of Parsons and the nature of Cuban, simultaneously among the NBAs closest owner/player pairings, and least restrained.As the booze flowed, Cuban made joking low-ball offers, Parsons chuckled at them, and they eventually moved on. When it was almost time to make the short trip back to the Skirvin Hotel, Cuban was settling up the tab and posing for pictures with some of the wait staff, while the taxi the clubs management had called for the owner idled in the alley out back.Spotting the cab as he left with friends, Parsons saw an opportunity to get the last laugh. He hopped in with his boys, slipped the driver a $100 bill and told him to take off.The timing worked to perfection. Just as the cab started rolling, Cuban walked out. Parsons rolled down the window and stuck out his head.Max or nothing, m-----f-----! Parsons hollered at Cuban, cracking up his crew.Just one last joke in a night full of them.This is the behind-the-scenes tale of the NBAs biggest bromance gone wrong.AS BIZARRE AS that scene might seem, it was business (and pleasure) as usual for the Cuban-Parsons bromance, as unique an owner-player relationship as any since Jerry Buss and Magic Johnson.Cuban has never shied away from developing friendships with players, dating back to putting up Dennis Rodman in his guest house weeks after Cuban bought the Mavs. Although Cuban has gone clubbing with dozens of players in the nearly two decades since, both Cuban and Parsons say their friendship was different. They were two peas in a pod, perhaps the leagues most personable player clicking with certainly the leagues most outgoing owner.Were boys. Were friends, Parsons tells ESPN. Yeah, he was the owner of the team, but I didnt look at him any differently [than other friends]. We did stuff. We enjoyed similar activities off the court. We were friends hanging out.Parsons had joined the Mavericks by signing his three-year, $46 million offer sheet within feet of bass-booming speakers at a club called Attic in his hometown of Orlando, Florida. That moment went viral after Parsons college buddy Dan Morgan (aka @DMoSwag) tweeted a selfie of himself with Cuban and Parsons cheesing after the ink was dry on the deal.That set the tone for the relationship to come: business and pleasure, with too many late nights to count. Cuban and Parsons would go out together occasionally during the NBA season, when it didnt conflict with the job that Cuban was paying Parsons a lot of money to do, and often during the offseason, when they hit clubs in Dallas, Las Vegas and Los Angeles.All the while, they talked shop: The business of running the Mavericks. It wasnt long before Parsons grew to enjoy the rarest of indulgences, normally reserved for long-term superstars: Parsons became a go-to resource on personnel matters, proposing one move after another, some of which became reality.At one point, Parsons pitched his boss on something bold: Say farewell to high-scoring free agent Monta Ellis, who clashed with Parsons and wore out his welcome with many in the Mavs organization; go all in on recruiting Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, whom Parsons believed could blossom to become the NBAs best big man and would be a perfect fit to play with him.Parsons had a lot of reasons to think they could get Jordan. He had known him for a decade, after meeting on the summer camp circuit as teenagers -- and he knew Jordan did not feel at home with the Clippers and was open to moving. It also didnt hurt that Jordan and Parsons both had the same agent, Dan Fegan, at that time.The Mavs would then need only a 3-and-D shooting guard -- they later signed Wesley Matthews -- and theyd be off and running with a core of Jordan, Parsons and Nowitzki.Cuban rubber-stamped the plan, as Parsons spearheaded one of the highest-profile recruiting efforts in recent NBA history, rarely leaving Jordans side in the weeks leading up to free agency, wining and dining the big man in his hometown of Houston and in L.A.Parsons joined Cuban on the owners private jet for a pair of flights to L.A., where Cuban filmed Shark Tank episodes in the week leading up to free agency. One night Cuban and several acquaintances from the show went to the Hollywood club Bootsy Bellows. NBA rules prohibit team officials like Cuban from hanging out with other teams prospective free agents while theyre under contract. But there are no such constraints on players. Parsons just happened to be entertaining Jordan and Matthews in the same place at the same time. Cuban coyly waved from across the club, while Parsons laid the groundwork for the Mavs free agency plans.When free agency arrived in earnest, Cuban was freed from NBA tampering rules. Parsons organized an all-you-can-eat sushi feast at Nobu Malibu in the opening hour of free agency. Cuban attended, as did Nowitzki, who flew in from New York for the occasion. It was an appetizer to the Mavs official pitch the next morning, one of many free agency meetings for Jordan.A few days later, Cuban and Parsons returned to L.A. on Cubans private jet. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision by Cuban, who wanted to make sure the Mavs got the last word after Jordan wrapped up his official meetings. The surprise visit to the centers house seemed to work: Cuban secured a verbal commitment from Jordan.Patron shots were poured and downed as Cuban, Parsons, Jordan and the big mans family celebrated that morning. Cuban and Parsons kept the party going the rest of the day and night. They headed to Manhattan Beach, where Cuban owns a home, and had a liquid lunch at Shellback Tavern, a favorite Cuban watering hole. Joined by a horde of friends and business acquaintances, they eventually stumbled across Manhattan Beach Boulevard to Strand House.Parsons, get out of the street! a tipsy Cuban hollered during a call-in appearance on Dallas radio station 1310 The Ticket, one of a few interviews that day that led to the league office fining Cuban for violating terms of the NBAs moratorium period.Of course, the recruiting was doomed. After convincing the Mavs hed join them, Jordan infamously went quiet. For a few days the Mavericks and Cuban couldnt reach Jordan at all. By the time he was allowed to sign his deal, Jordan announced he had changed his mind and would return to the Clippers.Jordans reversal was a setback for the franchise, but Parsons remained steadfast in his plan to play the rest of his career for his buddy/boss Cuban. And the two openly discussed the idea that Parsons would eventually take an official role in the Mavs front office.NBA OWNERS AND their players usually arent as close as Parsons and Cuban had grown. The reality is that players usually dont keep their jobs that long. A few years is a lifetime in this business -- and Nowitzki is really the only player who has had unconditional loyalty from Cuban. Last season, things were due to get awkward, as one of the Mavericks next huge decisions was the contract of Parsons himself.Things took a dreadful turn when Parsons tore the meniscus in his right knee -- the same one that had already endured microfracture surgery. And on the night Parsons learned he needed another surgery, Cuban took a distraught Parsons to dinner at Nick and Sams, a steakhouse and Parsons favorite restaurant in Dallas. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle and his daughter Abby, who adores Parsons, joined them for a while. After the meal, Parsons and Cuban drowned their sorrows at So and Sos, an uptown Dallas club that Parsons frequented.Groggy as he might have been the next morning, Parsons woke up feeling assured that he had a long, bright future in Dallas. As much as it hurt to see my season cut short, Parsons says, I knew it wasnt career-ending and I knew financially I was going to be taken care of by Mark.Parsons spent much of the spring rehabbing, and house-hunting in Dallas. He fell in love with a $7.95 million north Dallas palace, across the street from Cowboys quarterback Tony Romos under-construction mansion, and intended to buy the house as soon as the ink was dry on his new deal in July.Throughout the whole process going into free agency, I always thought Dallas was going to be the place, Parsons says. I thought we had a mutual understanding that I was going to be there for the whole time and I was going to retire a Mav. Obviously, the second surgery gave him a little doubt, and I believe some people got in his head about it.For weeks after the regular season ended, Cuban consistently told Parsons that theyd get a long-term deal done, according to Parsons. Asked about that by ESPN, Cuban simply shakes his head, evidently disputing the account.At one point in April, Cuban hired Parsons childhood best friend and personal manager, Pausha Haghighi, to assist him in matters related to the teams under-construction practice facility. Cuban consulted Parsons on details of the project for weeks after the season ended.They continued their constant discussions about potential personnel moves. They talked about whether high-flyiing big man Hassan Whiteside was worth chasing a year after the pair had been rejected by Jordan.dddddddddddd Parsons pushed for Harrison Barnes, seeing them as an interchangeable pair of forwards, with Nowitzki moving primarily to center, an experiment the Mavs tinkered with for a few games before Parsons season ended prematurely.BEHIND THE SCENES, Cuban faced a tough choice. Thanks to new TV revenues, the NBAs salary cap was set to explode. Parsons would, in all likelihood, command max offers. Did it make sense for the Mavericks to commit that much? Despite his max-or-nothing dig that night in Bricktown -- and his agent Fegans assurance that hed get multiple max offers -- Parsons told ESPN he would have accepted a four-year deal for a lot less than the max of $98 million the Mavs could have given him. He says Cuban was well aware of this heading into free agency, but even a hometown discount for Parsons would have been a huge contract.At least two teams were willing to take the risk of giving Parsons a max deal despite the medical concerns, attracted to the 6-foot-10 forwards rare blend of size, shooting touch and playmaking skill. They were willing to bet that Parsons would return to the form of his final two months in a Mavs uniform, when he averaged 18.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 47.7 percent from 3-point range.According to Parsons, the Mavs owner told him after the season ended that he had productive talks with Fegan and the sides should be able to agree on the parameters of a four-year deal as soon as NBA rules permitted. Asked about this, Cuban again shakes his head.Cubans unofficial advisory council -- which includes president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson, Carlisle, head athletic trainer Casey Smith and Nowitzki -- shared a consensus concern about a long-term commitment to Parsons. As free agency approached, team sources say they were unanimous that itd be a poor business decision to commit a major share of the Mavs salary cap to Parsons for the next four years because of his knee problems.Two team sources also cited locker room concerns with Parsons, although those were labeled as forgivable, fixable things. The primary concern: The fact that Parsons was so close with Cuban and wielded so much power in personnel matters.The main reason why I went to Dallas was because I had an owner that was my boy and who believed in me, Parsons says. Thats an awesome combination to have. As my years went on there, I think there was a huge jealousy factor of how cool I was with him, how I had some power and input in decisions that they make. I think that hurt some peoples feelings. I think that made them jealous.Looking from the outside looking in, I could see how that could rub people the wrong way. My relationship with him -- like, we were so cool, we were so close, I had his ear on a lot of decisions -- I think that ended up biting me in the ass at the end.IN EARLY JUNE, Parsons was at Bungalow, a club in Santa Monica, with Jordan -- the player who had crushed Cuban by spurning the Mavs. Parsons put his arm around Jordan, snapped a photo, and posted it to Instagram with the hashtag #nohardfeelings. He admits he had no thought about how that would be received in Dallas. Yeah, it definitely pissed Cuban off, Parsons says. Its his money and his team. Obviously, he didnt find it too funny, but I wasnt trying to get a laugh out of him or throwing shade at Dallas. It was such a story and such an ordeal with us that I was just kind of publicly burying the hatchet.That was one stumble. Another soon followed, as things fell apart between Cuban and Parsons friend who worked for him, Haghighi. They mutually agreed to part ways days after the Instagram picture -- though the timing could have been coincidental.Cuban then shifted tactics and pushed hard for Parsons to opt in for the final season of his contract, which would have paid about $6 million shy of what hed make as a max free agent. Parsons says Cuban told him they could discuss a long-term commitment the following summer -- when the cap would be even higher and Parsons would be eligible for a five-year deal -- if Parsons proved he could stay healthy for a whole season.In the postmortem, Cuban contends a long-term deal for Parsons was never in the offseason plans due to medical concerns. Once we knew about the knee injury, our goal was to get him to opt in, Cuban told ESPN, referring to the $16 million player option for this season that Parsons declined.It was a pitch that Parsons considered pretty ludicrous, even borderline disrespectful. He never remotely considered it.Obviously that sounds nice, but why risk it? My concern is the same as them. Youre worried about paying my knee, Parsons says. You dont want to pay me long term. These other really, really good teams do. If its too much of a risk for them to pay me for four years, its way too much of a risk for me to turn down guaranteed $94 million right now. It would make no sense, and no fan, no human, no one in the right mind would not do what I did.Before long, Parsons calls and texts began to go unreturned. When Parsons did get a hold of his buddy/boss, he says Cuban often came across as vague and elusive, as did Nowitzki.Cuban says he simply wanted all communication to go through Fegan at that point due to the business nature of the discussions.A sure sign that Parsons was out of the inner circle came when the Mavs hired Larry Shyatt as an assistant coach. He had been one of Parsons coaches at Florida. Its not that Parsons wasnt pleased with the hire, he was just shocked to learn about it via the media.That was the weirdest part to me, Parsons says. How DeAndre was kind of starting to get shady and ignore Marks calls, thats kind of like what Mark started doing to me. So it was like, Damn, you know what? I get it. Were going through negotiations. I know free agency can be tough sometimes, but at the end of the day, youre my friend.I was being avoided. I was being pushed out. I was being ignored. So awkward.Free agency arrived at midnight, Eastern time, July 1. The Mavs braintrust wooed Whiteside in the opening hours, while Parsons met with the Trail Blazers in Los Angeles. Impressed as Parsons was by Portlands pitch, and intrigued by the potential of playing with one of the leagues elite backcourts, he says he fell in love with the Grizzlies during his meeting with Memphis the next afternoon and committed on the spot.Parsons had essentially come to terms on a divorce with Dallas days earlier, when the Mavs made it clear he was nothing more than a fallback option and that no long-term offer would be forthcoming.Says Parsons: It was just kind of shocking.ITS ALL STILL a highly sensitive subject with Cuban. He has said precious little about the reasoning for the teams decision on Parsons, a far cry from the two-part blog manifesto Cuban posted to explain his logic to fans the last time he let a good friend leave in free agency, when the Mavs declined to match Steve Nashs offer from the Phoenix Suns in 2004. He gave brief answers in an interview for this story, essentially just verifying and clarifying facts.Were still friends, is all Cuban would say when asked about Parsons during summer league in Las Vegas, where they once partied together each summer with a large Mavs contingent. He elaborated a bit more during a summer appearance on 105.3 The Fans Ben and Skin Show, saying there were things other than basketball that factored into the decision and wishing Parsons well except the four games the Grizzlies faced the Mavs. The first of those games is Friday night at the American Airlines Center.After Parsons decided to join Memphis, he said his phone blew up with congratulatory texts and phone calls from the Mavs. Cuban wished him well, telling Parsons he hoped to be proven wrong. Carlisle, Nowitzki and Smith all reached out with heartfelt messages, too.A healthy two years in Dallas would have obviously changed everything, but he landed in a great situation in Memphis, Carlisle tells ESPN. Many of us in the Mavs organization remain close with Chandler and wish him the best.As far as Parsons is concerned, the fact that Carlisle, Nowitzki and Smith influenced Cubans decision doesnt affect his view of them.It doesnt bother me, because I would have the same issues, Parsons says. If you ask me about a player, Im going to give you my honest opinion. I dont care if its one of my good friends or not. As a businessman, Im going to be honest and be truthful about what the situation is.The Mavs caution was well founded. For the second straight year, Parsons rehab from spring surgery on his right knee stretched into the season. Parsons missed Memphis first six games and is still on a minutes restriction and trying to work his way into a groove. Meanwhile, his replacement, Barnes, is thriving.Parsons remains part of an active group text with Nowitzki, Smith and several other Mavs staffers that exists in large part to playfully rip Parsons for everything from his injury history to his playboy lifestyle. Parsons more than holds his own, returning fire against the former co-workers he considers friends for life.PARSONS DIDNT TALK to Cuban for a few months after signing with the Grizzlies, exchanging only a few friendly texts. Parsons, for his sake, says he understands the parting was just business, admits that if he were them, he would have been hesitant about signing a player with two knee surgeries to a $95 million deal. And so, a couple of weeks before NBA training camps opened, they decided to meet for dinner and drinks just for old times sake, with Cuban extending an invitation to Parsons and a few of his friends to join him at Soho House, a posh, members-only spot on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.A few rounds into the night, Cuban made a toast to the player he decided he didnt want to pay. The exact words that came out of Cubans mouth are fuzzy now to those who were there, but the message remains as clear as the Titos vodka in the glasses.Raising his glass, Cuban told the group at the table that he wasnt sure when or in what role, but his boy Chandler Parsons would be back in Dallas. Cheap Authentic Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Wholesale NFL Camo Jerseys Cheap NFL Autographed Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Store China Jerseys Wholesale Wholesale Throwback Jerseys Cheap Stitched Jerseys China NFL Hoodies Cheap Authentic Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Camo China NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China ' ' '