“Lottery pick for $750k? F***ing bargain” – NBA Redditors LAUGH OFF NBA’s punishment for Mark Cuban and Mavericks for intentionally losing final two games
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Mavericks owner Mark Cuban (via Inc. Magazine)
One of the many surprises of the 2022-23 NBA season was the collapse of the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic and co. were fourth in the Western Conference standings at the mid-season mark. However, in a shocking run since, the Mavericks finished the regular season in eleventh place. Fans and critics were left in disbelief as the Mavericks went on a win drought, despite adding Kyrie Irving before the trade deadline. After the team benched their stars and played poorly in their penultimate game against the Chicago Bulls, many viewers started suspecting an underlying strategy by team owner and governor Mark Cuban.
The Mavericks were accused of losing the game deliberately to finish outside the Play-in spot and have a shot at landing a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The NBA launched an investigation against these allegations following Jason Kidd‘s statements in a press conference. Following their investigation, the league concluded that the Mavericks purposely threw the game and slapped them with a fine of $750,000.
The NBA issued a public announcement of this penalty on the Mavericks organization. While the league did not find any players guilty, they mentioned the management violated the league’s ‘player resting policy’. NBA Executive Vice-President Joe Dumars even issued a statement saying how the Mavericks’ decision was disrespectful to the sport. “The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to restrict key players from fully participating in an elimination game last Friday against Chicago undermined the integrity of our sport,” he said.
How are Fans reacting to the NBA’s punishment for Mark Cuban
While $750,000 might sound like a big amount, it might not be for Mark Cuban, who is reportedly worth $6 billion. Many NBA fans on social media have been pointing this out. Fans on Reddit were appalled by the league’s punishment for the Mavericks. They laughed it off, claiming Cuban will have no problem paying the fine. Here are some comments:
The Mavericks now have a 14-20% chance of securing a lottery pick. It’s still a slim probability that they get the pick, but if they do, it will be a great return on investment. A lenient punishment will only implore more teams to adopt the same tactic in the future.
Amid this noise surrounding the Mavericks, there are also a few whispers about trade rumors of one gamble failing to pay off. Irving’s arrival in Dallas was anti-climactic. Some suspect that he might opt not to sign an extension with the team and sign elsewhere as a free agent in the summer. Many are also suspecting Doncic’s exit from the franchise in 2024. Although these rumors are far from reality, per Doncic, things could change quickly if the 2023-24 season doesn’t pan out as Cuban and the Mavericks hope it would.
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Jay Lokegaonkar
(46 Articles Published)