Source: Vaughn Ridley / Getty
Sometimes stating the obvious isn’t always in your best interest. Just ask Mark Cuban.
The owner of the Dallas Mavericks recently acknowledged that his team —currently boasting a record of 18-40 and good for the 4th overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft— is in fact tanking.
Speaking with Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving on his podcast, House Call with Dr. J, Cuban admitted that with the playoffs painfully out of reach, there’s nothing left to do but lose as many games possible to get the highest pick in this year’s stacked NBA draft.
“I’m probably not supposed to say this, but, like, I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night, and here we are, you know, we weren’t competing for the playoffs. I was like, ‘Look, losing is our best option.’ Adam [Silver] would hate hearing that, but I at least sat down and I explained it to them. And I explained what our plans were going to be this summer. That we’re not going to tank again.”
Adam Silver indeed hating hearing.
For publically showing his hands, billionaire playboy Mark Cuban was hit with a slap on the wrist at the tune of a $600,000 fine reports ESPN.
“I earned it,” Cuban told The Associated Press when asked about the latest fine. “I got excited talking to Dr. J and said something I shouldn’t have.”
Silver wasn’t the only one who took issue with Cuban’s admission as Mavericks franchise star and future Hall of Famer, Dirk Nowitzki said he’d “never stand for losing on purpose. That’s not who I am.” Either way, one good player isn’t going to be enough to keep the Mavs from falling further out of playoff contention and helping the future of the franchise to secure a high prospect in the draft.
