Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and author Buzz Bissinger have engaged in a war of words due to a column depicting race as a reason the NBA's popularity is not where it once was.

The fight broke out on Twitter and will culminate in a meeting between Cuban and Bissinger during Tuesday's 76ers-Mavericks game.

Cuban, objecting to Bissinger's Feb. 17 column on TheDailyBeast.com, Sunday tweeted the following: "@buzzbissinger is a coward."

Bissinger took exception to Cuban's statement and the two exchanged messages on the site for approximately four hours.

"He's a very smart guy. I respect him," Bissinger told the Ben & Skin Show on 103.3 FM in Dallas on Tuesday. "Did I go off on him: Yes. Because I was upset and I didn't like what he said. ... So we'll see what happens."