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5-at-10: Mark Cuban’s rough day, NBA second-half story lines, MLB changes, The ABA Rushmore

FILE - In this Nov. 4, 2016, file photo, Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA basketball Dallas Mavericks, speaks at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Detroit. Cuban says the team's decision not to stay at Donald Trump-branded hotels in New York and Chicago was made before the presidential election. The billionaire technology entrepreneur declined Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2016, to elaborate on the decision, telling The Associated Press it "was made months ago. Not recently." (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File) FILE - In this Nov. 4, 2016, file photo, Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA basketball Dallas Mavericks, speaks at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in Detroit. Cuban says the team's decision not to stay at Donald Trump-branded hotels in New York and Chicago was made before the presidential election. The billionaire technology entrepreneur declined Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2016, to elaborate on the decision, telling The Associated Press it "was made months ago. Not recently." (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

By Jay Greeson February 22, 2018 8 min read

Dirty Dallas

Tough day for Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Tough week even.

First news came that he was fined $600,000 for talking openly about tanking. While that sum is theoretically a nice lunch for Cuban – dude has more than $3 billion, so, as Darren Rovell tweeted, a $600K fine is like $28 to the average American – it still stinks.

(Side note: And while we understand the intent here, fining someone for speaking truth about a clear part of the game – a strategery that makes sense mind you – is very Pollyanna-ish and completely disingenuous to be honest.

But, and this is crazy to even type, but the $600,000 fine was far and away the better of Cuban’s two issues.
SI reported a long and well-researched story on the work culture within the Mavs that included some much sexual harassment and even some instances of assault that hit the streets Wednesday.