Dallas Mavericks Revoke Season Credentials of Two Well-Respected ESPN Reporters [UPDATED]

DALLAS, TX — The Dallas Mavericks have revoked the season media credentials of a pair of ESPN.com reporters after one of them was moved from a full-time beat writer covering the team to a general NBA position, according to published reports.

The basketball team revoked the credentials of Dallas-based writers Tim MacMahon and Marc Stein, SB Nation reported on Sunday. The site reported MacMahon's position has transitioned to a more general role that has him cover other teams in addition to the Mavs.

That broader role didn't sit well with team owner Mark Cuban, who followed up with his threat to revoke MacMahon's credentials if he din't cover just the Mavs. MacMahon covered the Mavericks' home opener and all three road games but is no longer credentialed for games in Dallas.

ESPN officials said they would continue to cover the team as best they can. “We’re committed to thoroughly covering the Mavs and the NBA,” ESPN spokesperson Josh Krulewitz said in a prepared statement. For his part, MacMahon declined comment.

NBA officials added: "We are in communication with both ESPN and Mark Cuban about this matter."

By Monday, the Professional Basketball Writers Association weighed in, saying they were "deeply troubled" by the Dallas Mavericks move.

To the chagrin of many NBA journalists, teams are allowed to set their own credential policies, Sporting News reported. Some teams grant credentials to virtually any outlet with a readership, while others prefer to allow credentialed access to professional outlets such as newspapers, radio stations and established websites, Sporting News reported.

"Denying a credential to ESPN, though, requires some stones," noted Sporting News.

Cuban and the Mavs declined comment. But Cuban later told Art Garcia, “They’re not banned from the building. They can still buy a ticket.”

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