Cuban to Kenyon Martin's Mom: 'Your Son Is a Punk'

Game 3 of Dallas-Denver ended not just with controversy, but also some angry midcourt action involving Mark Cuban, Josh Howard, Kenyon Martin, Kenyon Martin's mom, Mark Wunderlich, a local cameraman, a local photographer, security guards and other entourage. Above, you'll see Howard angrily yelling at Wunderlich, the referee in best position to call the intentional foul on Antoine Wright. You'll also see Cuban shove a news cameraman.

Martin probably shouldn't have been in the scuffle, considering the Dallas crowd was hostile. The rule of thumb in these instances for visiting players: get the heck off the floor ASAP. Chauncey Billups had to stick around to chat with Nancy Lieberman, but he had guards. Martin should have left the floor with his teammates.

Martin told media he stayed to play peacemaker (insert maniacal laughter). Cuban, already enraged by the game's finish, didn't appreciate Martin's presence. So what did he do? Well, he tattled on Kenyon, of course. From Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post:

Mark Cuban had a brief but heated confrontation with Lydia Moore, the mother of Denver's Kenyon Martin, who was seated near the tunnel that leads to the Mavs' locker room. Cuban said Sunday by e-mail that when he walked off the court, a fan was screaming about the Nuggets being "thugs," so Cuban said to Martin's mother: "That includes your son."

According to Martin's agent, Brian Dyke, Cuban spotted Moore amid numerous Nuggets fans and said, unprovoked, "Your son is a punk."

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ORLANDO - MAY 10: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics rebounds against the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 10, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rajon Rondo

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ORLANDO - MAY 10: Ray Allen #20 of the Boston Celtics shoots against Dwight Howard #12 and Rashard Lewis #9 of the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 10, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Ray Allen;Dwight Howard;Rashard Lewis

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ORLANDO - MAY 10: Kendrick Perkins #43 of the Boston Celtics shoots against Rashard Lewis #9 of the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 10, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Kendrick Perkins;Rashard Lewis

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ORLANDO - MAY 10: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic takes the ball to the basket against Kendrick Perkins #43 of the Boston Celtics in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 10, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dwight Howard;Kendrick Perkins

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ORLANDO - MAY 10: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics tracks a rebound against the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 10, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rajon Rondo

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ORLANDO - MAY 10: Glen Davis #11 of the Boston Celtics is defended on his drive to the basket by Tony Battie #4 of the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 10, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Glen Davis;Tony Battie

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ORLANDO - MAY 10: Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics reaches for the ball after stripping Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 10, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Rajon Rondo;Dwight Howard

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ORLANDO - MAY 10: Dwight Howard #12 of the Orlando Magic rebounds against the Boston Celtics in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at Amway Arena on May 10, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dwight Howard

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I tend to appreciate Cuban's passion for the most part. But shoving the cameraman's arm (Cuban said he only "moved the camera out of his way" -- riiiiight) and calling the Nuggets "thugs" -- with all the connotations that term has, and given all the NBA's problematic image troubles ... well, this is all very, very bush and very, very immature. Cuban only reinforced his reputation as a petulant, immature lout on Saturday. A shame, considering how classily his coach and top players responded. (Note: it wasn't by pushing people around or namecalling.)

On Sunday afternoon, NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league was investigating the post-game incidents. Based on reports that Howard broke a photographer's lens, and given the video evidence of Cuban's hissy fit, I assume some sort of financial sanctions will come down from Secaucus.

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