It has been a tough season for Mark Cuban‘s Mavericks so far, as the team currently ranks last in the Western Conference with a 7-18 record. Still, that doesn’t mean Cuban’s plan for Dirk Nowitzki has changed it all — he still envisions Nowitzki spending as many more seasons as he wants with the Mavs, finishing his career in Dallas.
“I still wouldn’t trade Dirk even if they offered me three No. 1’s,” Cuban said with a smile to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald this week. “Four, yes. But three, no.”
In addition to cracking jokes about his longtime star, Cuban also weighed in on a few more noteworthy topics. The Mavs owner talked about the rebuilding process for his club, which he hopes doesn’t last long, and pointed to the Celtics as a franchise worth emulating during that rebuild. He also revisited a topic he has discussed in the past, exploring why the NBA has been on the upswing in recent years, while other sports (most notably the NFL) haven’t had as much success gaining new fans and viewers.
Here are a few highlights from Cuban’s comments to Bulpett, whose piece is worth checking out in full:
On why the NBA is seeing increased popularity and TV ratings:
“There’s a confluence of a couple of things. No. 1, our demographic keeps on getting younger. The NFL and baseball, they keep on getting older. And I think what we’re doing with (the video game) NBA 2K is brilliant. And in the bigger scheme of things, in terms of building fans for the future, what do you want your kids to play? Of all the sports out there, do you want to go to a baseball game, or do want to watch your kid play basketball? Do you want to worry about him [playing] a whole football game, or do you want to watch your kid play basketball? Do you want him to get healthy from running the court, or do you want to watch him play football and worry about collisions?”
On the aspects of the Celtics’ rebuild that he admires and wants to emulate:
“I think the hallmark of what they did is how they get their teams to play hard. That’s really what we look to emulate more than anything else. I mean, they’ve done a great job in the draft, but there’s as much luck as anything else there, and things have got to fall in your lap one way or the other. So the way it’s worked out, the biggest takeaway that we’ve seen in looking at the Celts — and we’ve done a lot of deals with them, so we’re close to them — really, more than anything, it’s just how hard Brad gets his teams to play.”
On the Mavericks’ own rebuild:
“We just started last year. We weren’t going into last year thinking we were rebuilding, but [Andrew] Bogut got hurt and Deron Williams was hurt. We started off 3-17 or something ridiculous, and until we went into tank mode once we got eliminated from the playoffs, we were just outside the playoffs. So we have just started the rebuild, and hopefully it won’t be long.”
Points for loyalty, but Dirk is washed up, Cuban. Sell the Mavs.
Although I’m sure there are several small factors, primary reason is the NFLs product sucks. It’s closer to arena football now with 400 yards and 5 passing TDS and crazy 3 TD comebacks happening every Sunday. There isn’t congruence with the college game. The great players from the great programs aren’t as relevant while the Mitch Trubiskies and Carson Wentzs of the world get the starts and draft selections.
The NFL has some issues, but passing is usually associated with pleasing fans. Indeed all 3 points seem like odd complaints. Why shouldn’t Wentz start?– he’s probably going to be league MVP!
I guess I don’t see how baseball is getting “old”?
I was thinking the same thing… baseball is becoming a young mans game far more than basketball is in my eyes.
Baseball has by far the oldest average viewer out of NBA, NFL, MLB. Average age of a person watching baseball is 53 compared to 37 in the the NBA.
link to marketwatch.com
He didn’t say the viewers were old, now maybe thats what he meant though, but that is what my original comment was getting at.
It was a question about increased TV ratings and popularity. What else would he be talking about besides the age demographics that watch each sport?
Well. It’s not getting younger. Youth baseball is collapsing across the country. And people who don’t play baseball when they’re kids get bored and change the channel when an at bat lasts more than four pitches.
Didn’t he previously refuse to admit they were tanking?
He has said they weren’t tanking until they were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs
They should have tanked after Cuban allowed key free agents to leave after winning the chip in 2011. They may not have been tanking but that ship left the harbor before it made its official voyage.
Bring back the same team and they probably don’t even make the WCF.. they were an above average team who just went on an amazing run. There was no dynasty or anything to be had there
Bring back the same team and they’re too old!
Nothing to be had there? Only a title, after doing things the right way.
Cuban wants out of Western conference bad!
Funny thing about NBA vs. NFL… I’m part of the shift… I’m reading two basketball websites almost daily, but never even one before. Of course I live in NEOhio, and the Browns are the other choice!
I live in Avon Lake, Ohio (30 minutes west of Cleveland). Since the Browns always have the top draft pick, I’ve been reading the CBS Sports mock drafts. their most recent one had the Browns with the top pick taking Lamar Jackson and Saquan Barkley with the Texas pick. It says with them, Duke Johnson, David Nwaba, and Josh Gordon (and the offensive line and Corey Coleman) the Browns offense would be explosive. Thought you were a New Yorker. All the stuff you read from me about LeBron comes from Austin Carr and Campy Russell during the Cavs games. I watch every one on Sportstime Ohio. I really do appreciate you getting all the snow. I watch weather reports and you get a foot of snow, we get an inch. I got a suspicion from watching Dwayne Wade and LeBron (seriously are bff) they are staying. Wade looks happy. I’m with the ESPN guy Adrian, go after Paul George, not DeAndre Jordan. They can get Nerlens Noel cheap. I’d offer one of their own first picks for him.
The thing about the NFL is all the players are saying they won’t let their kids play because of how violent it is. It’s getting serious. The lawsuits are adding up!
Lebron’s thing when faced with the GSW juggernaut is not so much to try to defend against it, but to keep it occupied at the other end.
Thomas fits with that, defending Curry by beating him with offense, which he generally does. Klay T will have to switch to covering IT. Unfortunately JRSmith (vs Curry) may not be good enough anymore to make them pay for that. At that time having Wade meshed into the first team would be an advantage.
Wade would also be better at compensating for IT’s defense, and is shooting at a high 3pt%. Surprise, NBA fans! (Wade has rocked in every way.)
Maybe Wade will be shifted later, after the possible crossfire between IT & LBJ is resolved and he doesn’t have pick a side. He should actually stay at PG, but without telling IT that. He’s been winning at politics also!
He did say a couple days ago he liked where he was.
That post should have been at the end.
I would also prefer Korver over Smith. He would drive Curry crazy, and getting through all the screens would be brutal.
I agree with an amazing % of your points given your volume. As long as the Browns do not go for USC’s Sam Darnold I will be relieved. Bust
It really is starting to look like OKC isn’t going to work out, and I don’t think Dallas keeps Noel past the deadline. I think a lineup of Love-pf, Noel-c, LeBron-sf, George-sg (he started his career there), IT-pg and the Cavs bench could beat the Warriors.
I worked at Ford in Avon Lake. There were more Steeler fans than Brown fans!
Think George and Jimmy Butler are realizing they blew a shot at $30 million a year for 5 years for a pipedream. Oladipo is matching George’s numbers in Indy! George reminded me of reggie Miller when he played shooting guard for the Pacers!
Never saw George kick shins to get to the FT line. But he’ll be alright, LA will pay the $.
If LeBron goes to L.A., George will have to go for less than the max unless the Lakers buy out Deng.
The Lakers won’t be title contenders.
You and me both know Dwayne wade is the only one who knows what LeBron will do. He knew he was going to Miami. He was on the plane with LeBron when he decided to come back. I think him and Love go a long way in Cleveland’s favor in staying here. Gilbert will give him the money others can’t.
George was a Reggie who could defend. He had to play shooting guard because they had a healthy Danny Granger getting 20 points a game. I don’t know if OKC would let him go. They rested him last night. They were down by 20 and came back to win.
Don’t forget to watch Pacers-OKC next Wednesday on ESPN. Commissioner Silverman will be there. Will be Pacers only nationally televised game because they want to see everyone roasting Paul George in his return.
You like Wade starting at shooting guard. J.R. is badly inconsistent, but Wade says he wants to staywhere he is because he wasn’t getting enough shots with LeBron and Rose on court. He gets them running the second unit. There is less stress too!
Think Crowder, Love (will do better against Pachullia than Draymond, remember Cavs fans wanted to run him out of town after last years championship), and Lebron can hold their own against Draymond, Zaza, and Durant, but not J.R. and IT against Curry and Thompson. Wade is tearing it up in 2nd quarter and Korver in 4th. Green is playing well every game. With Iggy playing bad, the Warriors bench isn’t that great. I still think a lot of J.R.’s problems have to do with his daughter being born so prematurely (2 lbs.), almost losing her, and having to be on oxygen. That would bother me too!