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Mark Cuban deserves credit for wave of financial support for NBA staff

By Duncan Smith

MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Owner Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks reacts against the Miami Heat during the second half at American Airlines Arena on February 28, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 28: Owner Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks reacts against the Miami Heat during the second half at American Airlines Arena on February 28, 2020 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Within minutes of the abrupt suspension of the NBA’s season on Wednesday night, Mark Cuban pledged to support Dallas Mavericks team and arena staff.

The past 72 hours have been an insane frenzy of activity in the world of the NBA and its associated teams. Leading up until the league abruptly suspended its season on Wednesday night when Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive for coronavirus, there was nothing but uncertainty in both league offices and various team headquarters.

Among all the issues of concern in the early hours of the NBA’s crisis planning was potential fallout from playing games with no fans. How far that restriction would stretch has never been publicly revealed. Would media be barred? What was the plan to televise games? Would attendees be restricted exclusively to visiting team traveling parties and home team essential personnel?

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These questions may need to be answered down the road if the NBA does return to action down the road without fans, but the question that was scarcely on the minds of most people pondering the issue: What happens to team and arena hourly and part-time employees if there are no games or games are played with no fans?

As it happened, Gobert’s positive test forced the NBA’s hand and the season was immediately suspended. It’s going to be a while before we have the chance to find out what a world in which basketball games are played in empty arenas looks like, but reality smacked these lower-wage employees right where it hurts.

Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, was way ahead of this issue. Everybody was thinking about what comes next, but Cuban focused on the hourly and part-time employees almost immediately.

In a press conference following the Mavs’ win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Cuban broached the topic:

"“I reached out to the folks at the arena and our folks at the Mavs to find out what it would cost to support, financially support, people who aren’t going to be able to come to work,” Cuban said. “They get paid by the hour, and this was their source of income. So, we’ll do some things there. We may ask them to go do some volunteer work in exchange, but we’ve already started the process of having a program in place. I don’t have any details to give, but it’s certainly something that’s important to me.”"

It’s safe to say that it was not by accident that Cuban led with this. Getting ahead of the topic not only gave his employees and the employees at American Airlines Center the peace of mind that they would be taken care of in this new era, but it also put the pressure on his fellow team owners to do the right thing and take care of their low-wage personnel.

Mark Cuban led by example, and slowly but surely other owners are coming around as well.

This growing list includes the owners and ownership groups of the Atlanta Hawks, the Brooklyn Nets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Portland Trail Blazers and Washington Wizards, as well as the Ilitch family, who owns the Detroit Red Wings and operates Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.

This movement has spread to the players as well. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Kevin Love of the Cavs and Blake Griffin of the Detroit Pistons have all pledged $100,000 each to help pay hourly and low-wage employees.

We’re still in the early days and no paychecks have been missed yet, so expect this list to grow as the hours and days pass by.

Would these owners and players have taken up the mantle themselves without Cuban’s leadership, or would they have offered the platitudes of Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers earlier this week:

"“We feel for the workers mostly, the low-income wage earners that count on working our games,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers told reporters. “If you’re going to have empathy, have it for them, not for us. We play basketball. It’s a big business, but we’re just playing basketball.”"

We’ll never know, but good for Mark Cuban for taking the lead on this topic.

Next. The NBA should experiment with a new playoff format. dark