Billionaire logic is different, just ask Mark Cuban.
The minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks has now entered the chat with a spicy take: tanking is good for the National Basketball Association.
Yes, losing on purpose, intentionally, strategically and professionally.
Cuban basically said the league should stop pretending tanking is some dark, shameful secret. Instead, he thinks the NBA should embrace it, hug it and put a ring on it.
“Fans know their team can’t win every game,” said Cuban, who later apologized for the typos in his message. “They know only one team can win a ring. What fan that care about their team’s record want is hope. Hope they will get better and have a chance to compete for the playoffs and then maybe a ring.
“The one way to get closer to that is via the draft. And trades. And cap room. You have a better chance of improving via all 3 , when you tank.”
Mark also added that NBA should look at making games affordable.
“The NBA should worry more about fan experience than tanking,” he said. “It should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking. You know who cares the least about tanking , a parent who cant afford to bring their 3 kids to a game and buy their kids a jersey of their fave player.
“Tanking isn’t the issue. Affordability and quality of game presentation are.”
Imagine telling that to fans paying premium ticket prices.
“Congrats on your $300 seats. Tonight’s goal? Character development.”
Love it or hate it, tanking isn’t going anywhere, and Cuban is just bold enough to say the quiet part out loud.
In the NBA, sometimes the road to glory starts with a beautifully executed collapse, and apparently, that’s just good business.
