Big Baby and Mark Cuban apologize in their own unique ways

May 13, 7:25 AMSports ExaminerPaula Duffy

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AP/Phelan M. Edenhack

Although I wrote about the Lakers lack of remorse after their embarrassing game 4 loss to Houston on Sunday, I am happy to report that others understand the magic contained in the words, "I'm sorry".

Glen "Big Baby" Davis of the Boston Celtics apologized to a young Orlando Magics fan for being bumped after Davis' game winning shot fell through the net on Sunday during game 4 in Orlando. It was his first big time buzzer-beater in the NBA and in his euphoria he ran into the kid who was standing courtside.

The video ( see below) shows Davis in all his rotund splendor, turn around and run back towards his team's bench to celebrate but not before the young man lost his cap and staggered a bit backwards. Frankly, I'm surprised just the amount of air displacement caused by Davis' hulking figure didn't knock the kid on his butt.

Instead of just assuming that when you stand on the sideline you might get bumped, the young man's father complained to the NBA, called Davis a "raging animal" and demanded an apology. He got one.

But it was the special kind you utter when you don't 'believe you need to do anything at all. It began with that qualifying word, "if". Check it out for yourself, here.

And then we have the continuing saga of Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavs who can't go a month without having to pay a fine for something he said. This time, no fine has been assessed for him staring at the mother of Denver Nuggets' forward Kenyon Martin and calling her son a thug or was it a punk?

His apology was issued via his blog and although it sounded contrite I have no video to prove that he said it. He also couldn't help but dig the knife in a bit when he offered to keep her from the harassing Mavs fans by entertaining her as a guest in his suite if the teams get to a game 6 back in Dallas, which most observers think is as likely as Cuban never saying something stupid again. Apparently, the Mavs fans took their cue from their owner and let Martin's mother hear some nasty stuff during a game played there.

Compared to the Lakers' refusal to acknowledge their utter incompetence on the floor in Houston this past Sunday, a blog and a qualifier surpasses a non-apology any day.

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