Mark Cuban Says NBA Should Not Penalize Teams That Tank
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Dallas, TX — Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban believes the NBA is targeting the wrong issue by fining clubs that rest healthy players in pursuit of better draft positioning.
Posting on X, Cuban wrote that the league should “embrace tanking” instead of punishing it and argued that the fan experience hinges more on who attends the game than on the final score. “Few can remember the score from the last game they saw or went to… What they remember is who they were with,” he said.
The comments follow recent league discipline: the Utah Jazz were fined $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for sitting healthy players. Commissioner Adam Silver said during All-Star Weekend that tanking has intensified this season and that draft-pick penalties are under consideration.
Criticism of NBA Fines
Cuban contended that the league punishes honesty, writing, “If you don’t lie to your fans about what you are doing, even though it’s obvious to them, you get fined… and they threaten you with losing picks.”
The billionaire pointed to the Mavericks’ 24-58 record in 2017-18, a season that led to Dallas trading up to draft Luka Dončić in 2018. The franchise was later fined $600,000 for roster decisions judged to be tanking. “We didn’t tank often… but when we did, our fans appreciated it,” Cuban noted.
Affordability and Transparency
Cuban, who retains a minority stake in the Mavericks after selling majority control in December, said ticket affordability outweighs competitive concerns for most fans. He argued supporters prefer transparency about rebuilding plans over “spin.”
“Fans know when teams are rebuilding,” Cuban wrote. “Pretending otherwise is the real problem.”
Silver has said the league is examining “all remedies” to discourage teams from compromising competitive integrity. Cuban, however, maintains that rebuilding through strategic losing can accelerate improvement and ultimately enhance the on-court product.
Source: Hoops Wire
