Dallas Mavericks billionaire owner Mark Cuban has probably seen a lot over the years, but Wednesday’s developments were dumbfounding even to him.
After word broke Wednesday that the NBA had suspended the season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert’s positive test for coronavirus, Cuban was seen with a shocked reaction to the news flashing across his phone screen.
Mark Cuban reacts moments after the NBA season was suspended. pic.twitter.com/4g8Z7yLts6
— ESPN (@espn) March 12, 2020
At the time, the Mavericks were in the middle of a nationally-televised game against the Denver Nuggets. Minutes later, Cuban gave an interview to ESPN where he called the developments “crazy” and “more like out of a movie.” He also said that the team would set up a program to take care of the workers who would lose pay due to the stoppage.
Mark Cuban will put a program together to take care of Mavericks’ employees making hourly pay who will be out of work due to the coronavirus. pic.twitter.com/a2iapZP4hZ
— Hoop Vault™️ (@HoopsVauIt) March 12, 2020
Cuban later added that the NBA has told teams that they can continue to practice but noted that players have been told that they should not have any visitors from out of town, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
The news is obviously shocking on many levels, both to those in and out of the league. But with the risk to the public escalating, the NBA will just have to bite the bullet here. Early indications are it could be a lengthy hiatus.
