While the subject of an alleged homophobic slur by Drew Gooden continued to fan his own flames Tuesday, the Mavericks stayed silent, and the NBA opened a review of the situation, although it's difficult to see any substantial penalty forthcoming from the incident.

Clippers fan Chris Wylde said in a YouTube video he posted that he and a friend were in a hallway at Staples Center after Saturday's game and that Gooden said to the people he was leaving the game with, "there's that other [slur]." Wylde added that "it wasn't hateful, but it's something that shouldn't be said."

Gooden, owner Mark Cuban and all other Mavericks officials would not comment about the incident. A couple of players said there was heckling going on during the game by fans near the bench, where Wylde and his friend were sitting.

An NBA spokesman said the league was looking into it. A Mavericks source said earlier Tuesday that Gooden was not the one who made the remark after the game. Unless the league can decipher the real truth, doling out fines will prove difficult.

The Web site Outsports.com, which addresses gay issues in sports, originally posted the story Monday that Wylde and his friend were the targets of the comment. Cuban told the Web site he would deal with the issue internally.

Interestingly, Denver's Kenyon Martin yelled the same homophobic slur while leaving the court after a playoff game at American Airlines Center, caught by television cameras.

No controversy ensued.

Eddie Sefko