Ex-Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reveals key flaw in NBA experience following Adam Silver’s tanking remarks

Mark Cuban joins the debate in the NBA’s fight against tanking. Commissioner Adam Silver signaled stronger enforcement after recent fines against teams accused of manipulating lineups. Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban was not happy with the decision. He did not argue that tanking never happens, but revealed that the league is focusing on the wrong problem.

Cuban believes the NBA risks losing sight of what truly drives the sport. In a lengthy social media post, he said the league should prioritize fan experience over punishing teams for strategic rebuilding. His comments come as the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for what it described as “overt” tanking. Silver has warned teams that further action, including draft penalties, are on the table.

Mark Cuban explains a major flaw in the NBA viewing experience

Mark Cuban’s central argument targets the NBA viewing experience. He wrote, "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. 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.

"Fans know their team can't win every game. 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."

He connected that hope to the draft. Cuban admitted that the Mavericks embraced rebuilding phases to improve lottery position, create cap flexibility, and pursue trades. That path led to the 2018 draft night deal for Luka Dončić, who later guided Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals.

Cuban also addressed affordability. He wrote, "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." He added that the league "should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking."

Mark Cuban slammed Adam Silver’s decision on tanking

Silver has acknowledged what he called a growing issue. During All-Star Weekend, he said, "In the old days, it was just sort of an understanding among partners in terms of behavior. I think what we're seeing is modern analytics where it's so clear that the incentives are misaligned. ... Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we've seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view. Which was what led to those fines, and not just those fines but to my statement that we're going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams' behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice."

He also called the situation "a bit of a conundrum" and said the league may explore "every possible remedy."

Cuban challenged Silver’s notion. He wrote, "The worst the nba dishes out, is that if you don't lie to your fans about what you are doing , even though it's obvious to them , you get fined. And the threaten you with losing picks."

He added, "We didn't tank often. Only a few times over 23 years, but when we did, our fans appreciated it.” Cuban further insists that it has propelled the franchise to improve.


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