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Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and reserve center DJ Mbenga, who was inactive and in street clothes for Game 4, entered the stands late in the first quarter after Cassandra Johnson, wife of Mavs coach Avery Johnson, got into a dispute with two Suns fans.
Cuban and Mbenga were joined by team security coordinator Jim Colleran in a section overlooking the Mavs' bench to check on Cassandra Johnson. A misdemeanor assault complaint was reportedly later filed by the fans against Johnson for allegedly shoving and swearing at them.
It was not immediately known if Cuban or Mbenga are facing sanction from the league for going into the stands. NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said the incident would be reviewed by the league office Wednesday.
"I heard something went on. But we've been in situations before on the road -- Mark's wife has had problems, my wife, our [team] president [Terdema Ussery]," Avery Johnson said after the game. "When you're on the road, you know things happen, people throw stuff at you. So we'll see what happened. I haven't really talked to her yet."
Then-New York center Antonio Davis was suspended for five games in January for entering the stands during a game at Chicago to confront a fan he thought was harassing his wife. But Davis, in that scenario, was an active participant in the game who was penalized for what NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson described as "breaking the barrier from the court into the stands."
It was not immediately clear whether the actions of an owner and/or an inactive player would be interpreted similarly. Cuban tried to downplay the incident at halftime, calling it "a non-event
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Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and reserve center DJ Mbenga, who was inactive and in street clothes for Game 4, entered the stands late in the first quarter after Cassandra Johnson, wife of Mavs coach Avery Johnson, got into a dispute with two Suns fans.
Cuban and Mbenga were joined by team security coordinator Jim Colleran in a section overlooking the Mavs' bench to check on Cassandra Johnson. A misdemeanor assault complaint was reportedly later filed by the fans against Johnson for allegedly shoving and swearing at them.
It was not immediately known if Cuban or Mbenga are facing sanction from the league for going into the stands. NBA spokesman Brian McIntyre said the incident would be reviewed by the league office Wednesday.
"I heard something went on. But we've been in situations before on the road -- Mark's wife has had problems, my wife, our [team] president [Terdema Ussery]," Avery Johnson said after the game. "When you're on the road, you know things happen, people throw stuff at you. So we'll see what happened. I haven't really talked to her yet."
Then-New York center Antonio Davis was suspended for five games in January for entering the stands during a game at Chicago to confront a fan he thought was harassing his wife. But Davis, in that scenario, was an active participant in the game who was penalized for what NBA vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson described as "breaking the barrier from the court into the stands."
It was not immediately clear whether the actions of an owner and/or an inactive player would be interpreted similarly. Cuban tried to downplay the incident at halftime, calling it "a non-event
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