Twice spurned, Suns' Chandler calls out Mavs

The Dallas Mavericks turned their backs on Tyson Chandler. Twice.

For the second time in his 15-year career, Chandler was slighted by a team that initially appeared to cherish his contributions, as the Mavs let him walk during this summer's free-agency period in hopes of landing a fickle DeAndre Jordan.

And so, the newest member of the Phoenix Suns is understandably salty about his pair of departures from the Big D - especially considering the vital role he played in the Mavs' lone NBA title in franchise history.

"I definitely felt like, after winning a championship and help bring it there, that I was going to be there for the long run," he told AZCentral's Paul Coro on Tuesday.

While Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle stated that he would like to see Chandler's jersey retired at American Airlines Center some day, and team owner Mark Cuban admitting that his 7-foot-1 former employee has "the right to be salty," Chandler doesn't put much stock in what he's hearing.

"I saw the bull---- they put out," he said. "It's just bull----. Just saving face. It was what it was. It was clear. The whole process was going on while I was basically still in the jersey."

Chandler, 33, was first acquired by Cuban and Mavs brass in 2010, instantly changing the team's culture with his relentless defense and team-first approach.

As the defensive anchor on a veteran-laden squad - led by Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Jason Terry - Chandler and the Mavs defeated the Miami Heat 4-2 in the 2011 NBA Finals.

In spite of individual and team triumphs, Chandler's services were not retained, and the big man eventually signed with the New York Knicks prior to the shortened 2011-12 season.

After three relatively underwhelming seasons in The Big Apple, however, Cuban and the Mavericks brought Chandler back for what seemed to be a feel-good reunion.

But alas, the one-time All-Star and Olympic gold medalist remained in Dallas for a single season once again.

"I never heard of a championship team being broken up like that," he lamented. "When they traded for me to come back, I sat at the podium with everybody else and heard them say this was going to be a long-term deal and they weren't going to make the same mistake as last time and blah-blah-blah. Seven months later, the same thing happens again. But I learned in this business that you can't trust everybody. That's why it is what it is."