DALLAS — Former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban called on the NBA to embrace tanking, criticizing the league for punishing teams that appear to lose intentionally to improve their draft position.
Cuban’s remarks came in a pair of posts on X on Tuesday, following NBA Commissioner Adam Silver’s warning about potential fines and even revoking draft picks for teams that compromise game integrity. Cuban argued that fans understand tanking and value hope for future improvement over the outcome of any single game.
“The NBA should worry more about fan experience than tanking,” Cuban wrote. “It should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking.” He added that fans often remember who they watched games with rather than the final score.
The Mavericks and other teams have faced challenges due to injuries and roster changes. Dallas, after trading Luka Doncic and dealing with injuries to Kyrie Irving, entered the All-Star break on a nine-game losing streak, their longest in 28 years. Cuban noted that even when the Mavs tanked occasionally during his 23 years of ownership, fans appreciated the approach because it led to acquiring key talent like Doncic.
Cuban’s comments follow a broader NBA debate on tanking. Last week, the league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 after teams sat star players in a loss to Orlando. Indiana’s president of basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard, asked fans if they agreed with Cuban, receiving widespread support.
Despite no longer holding a decision-making role in Dallas, Cuban has remained vocal about the topic, advocating for transparency and emphasizing the value of draft strategies for long-term team success.
