Carlisle on Mayo: 'I'm like a little-league dad’

Three days after Rick Carlisle called out O.J. Mayo for not competing against the Memphis Grizzlies, Mayo's former team, the Dallas Mavericks coach explained why he wants the 25-year-old back next season.

"I love O.J. as a kid, as a person," Carlisle said Thursday. "I spent more time with him this year than probably any player I've ever had. With him, I'm like a little-league dad. I wanted him to do well so badly that sometimes it would get the better of me. But that's OK. Because if you care that much that's never a bad thing."

Mayo, who signed with the Mavericks in July, said Thursday that he has decided to opt out of the final year of his two-year contract. He's looking for a long-term deal.

Starting all 82 games this season, Mayo averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.4 turnovers.

"I like O.J. a lot," Carlisle said. "I think he fits into what we're doing. Like everything else in this world, this is probably going to come down to money. Right now, I don't know where all that stuff is going to stand. He had a very good year for us, so there's going to be a lot of team's interested in him."


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