Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told Axios Sunday that it was likely some regular season games and the playoffs would occur despite the NBA’s suspension of the season last week.
“As long as we can keep our players and staffs healthy and see a light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel, I think it’s likely we play some regular season games and then the playoffs,” Cuban told the publication.
Cuban, who has announced payment plan for hourly employees in which they are paid as though the games were played, addressed the lack of similar plans from other owners, telling Axios “I’m not going to judge what others do. This is a time when we can show some compassion for the circumstances we all are in and help each other out. Just because someone doesn’t make an announcement doesn’t mean they are not helping in 100 other ways.”
Axios said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver had handled the outbreak “exactly right,” adding “all CEOs are working with imperfect information, as all of us are. In this type of situation you adapt based on the data you receive. That is exactly what happened. I’m proud of how we handled it.”
The Mavericks owner and “Shark Tank” host added that the team had discussed organizing clinics to ensure children get out of their homes and exercise “once things start to normalize.”