Adam Silver ‘paying attention’ to tanking teams (1:14)NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the tanking issue in the NBA. (1:14)
Cuban, the former majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, says the fan experience is chief among the reasons the NBA should “embrace tanking.”
“Few can remember the score from the last game they saw or went to. They can’t remember the dunks or shots. What they remember is who they were with. Their family, friends, a date. That’s what makes the experience special,” Cuban said.
Last week, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000, with the NBA saying both teams sat healthy players in recent games while noting that moves that compromise the league’s integrity won’t be tolerated.
Cuban, who still owns a share of the Mavericks, challenged that approach and says the league should be more transparent in tanking discussions.
Cuban says tanking helped to get Luka Doncic in the 2018 draft. The Mavericks went 24-58 in 2017, the season before drafting Doncic, who was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2025.
“We didn’t tank often. Only a few times over 23 years, but when we did, our fans appreciated it. And it got us to where we could improve, trade up to get Luka and improve our team,” he wrote.
Fans make the league, Cuban wrote, and the NBA must embrace that and create better experiences for them.
“When I got into the nba, they thought they were in the basketball business. They aren’t. They are in the business of creating experiences for fans,” he said.
Adam Silver ‘paying attention’ to tanking teams (1:14)NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the tanking issue in the NBA. (1:14)
Why the NBA should embrace tanking – The NBA has kate been misguided thinking that fans want to see their teams compete every night with a chance to win. It’s never been that way that way. When I got into the nba, they thought they were in the basketball business. They…
Tanking Part 2: Why it’s “worse” now 1. College basketball players are pros. They are paid for performance more than potential. So while the nba values younger players who will continue to develop , they are now playing against bigger, better, higher BBIQ players because…
Cuban wrote that the team was fined $600,000 after that, saying “It’s a joke.”
To Cuban, a good fan experience also includes affordability.
Tanking also proves to fans that teams are looking ahead to next season, Cuban wrote.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver addresses the tanking issue in the NBA. (1:14)