Rick Carlisle's Comments On Chandler Parsons' Weight Gain Backfire Big Time

Rick Carlisle will think twice before he comments on the weight of another one of his players.

The Dallas Mavericks coach told reporters last week that he thought Chandler Parsons, who recently signed a three-year, $46 million deal with Dallas, may have put on a little too much weight over the offseason. Parsons, who stands 6-foot-9 and played at about 215 pounds while on the Rockets, focused on bulking up over the summer. He reported to training camp at 235 pounds, and Carlisle immediately noticed the difference in his game.

Parsons had six rebounds, six assists and nine points on 4-of-12 shooting Friday in the Mavs' loss to the Thunder.

"He looked tired out there tonight to me, and his shot is short," Carlisle said after the game. "He's working on losing some weight. He's a little bit heavier than he's been. He's up over 230, and we want to see him get down to at least 225. That's a work in progress, and tonight's one of those nights where I think the extra weight was a hindrance."

Asked about his new coach's comments, Parsons didn't appear fazed.

"His opinion of heavy is different than mine," Parsons said. "We kind of go at it every day about it. At the end of the day, I respect his opinion. After training camp, my weight fluctuates. I'll get it down."

But Parsons didn't stop there. He took to Instagram, where he has more than 300,000 followers, and posted this photo in response to Carlisle's criticism:

Parsons, 25, isn't exactly uncomfortable without his shirt. During the past year he's modeled for Buffalo David Britton and beach label OP. Here are some of his best shots:

Sensing the building drama, Carlisle moved quickly to put out the fire. He issued a statement apologizing to Parsons and the team. Carlisle's rapid response may or may not have been related to the fact that after Parsons posted the photo, Carlisle's daughter and wife started following him.

“It’s closed,” Carlisle said of what owner Mark Cuban called "Chubby-gate." “I’ve received my punishment. My wife and daughter became full-time Chandler Parsons Twitter and Instagram followers.”

But before letting it go, Carlisle had to admit he saw Parsons' photo and approved.

“Oh yeah," Carlisle said when asked whether he looked at the image, "it’s great.”