Rick Carlisle claims Chandler Parsons cheats at ping pong

Dec 16, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Dallas Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons (25) talks with Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 16, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Dallas Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons (25) talks with Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 16, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Dallas Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons (25) talks with Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 16, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Dallas Mavericks small forward Chandler Parsons (25) talks with Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

On top of being one of the very best coaches in the NBA, Dallas Mavericks chief Rick Carlisle is a noted ping pong enthusiast. As one would expect, he takes it VERY seriously. Carlisle is totally the type that would insist you call it “table tennis.”

Anyway, Chandler Parsons has claimed that he beat Carlisle in a game of ping pong. When asked by ESPN’s Tim McMahon about it, Carlisle scoffed at the notion:

Carlisle certainly didn’t mince words, even insinuating that Parsons cheated his way to his lone victory in a best-of-three series over the coach. We may need to add “Ping Pong Tournament” to All Star Saturday Night in order to get to the bottom of this. With the Ping Pong-gate and the Dirk Nowitzki haircut controversy, it sounds like tensions are running high in the Mavs locker room these days. We can only hope that this latest incident doesn’t tear them all apart.

Also, Rick Carlisle having “table tennis brethren” is hilarious and not surprising in the least.