In the hoopla over Nick Van Exel's trade request, he was quotes as saying, "I had problems there [Los Angeles], too. But now they got a better coach than they did when I was there, so maybe I wouldn't have those problems there."  That inferior coach was Del Harris, now an assistant in Dallas, and he took offense at the comment, accoridng to Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram.

"Nick has had excuses everywhere that he's ever been and it's time for him to wake up and realize that life is good. For four years, we won more games each year, and each year he was working against me to undermine me.  And when you have your point guard working against the coach, it's just a miracle when you can win 48, 53, 56 and 61 games.

"He should be eternally indebted with gratitude to Dan Issel for giving the kind of contract that he gave him, and instead he turns on him as well.  So, I don't know when it's ever going to be somebody else's fault besides Nick's."