Mavs Owner Wants NBA to Investigate LeBron Signing

Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, wants the NBA to investigate the Miami Heat's signing of all-stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for evidence of player tampering.

In an interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer in Las Vegas in advance of the NBA owners meeting this week, Cuban expressed concern about how the three friends orchestrated their signings. James, Wade and Bosh met with each other throughout the free-agency period, when each was still under contract with their teams at the time.

“I’m going to bring it up to the league that we really do have to re-evaluate the issue of player tampering,” Cuban said. “Who knows what will happen? But I have to suggest it to them because there has to be more definitive rules.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors, the former teams of James and Bosh respectively, currently have no plans to bring tampering charges themselves, according to ESPN.

The three players have openly talked about playing together since at least the 2008 Summer Olympics, where they won a gold medal for Team USA. Before the NBA free agency period opened on July 1, Bosh, James and Wade met at James' home in Ohio to discuss their futures. Cuban is suggesting that they may have violated league rules that are supposed to prevent players, agents and teams from negotiating ahead of that date. NBA Commissioner David Stern is expected to address the topic at the league meetings.

James revealed that he would play for the Heat in an ESPN prime time special last week that drew over 10 millions viewers, making it the third most-watched cable show of the year.

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