Dallas Basketball

Mavericks' Mark Cuban Criticizes NBA Over Bench Policy

The Mavericks' outspoken minority owner has a lot of opinions about NBA protocols.

Keenan Womack

Oct 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban looks on during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Oct 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban looks on during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Memphis Grizzlies at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
In this story:

Mark Cuban, the former majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks before selling a majority stake in the franchise, still has an important role as Head of Basketball Operations, as well as a minority owner. Though still a presence around the team, he has taken a step back from his typical in-game involvement over the years, as he was known for sitting behind the bench every night, at home and on the road.

He had been doing so for nearly 25 years since he bought the Mavericks in January of 2000, but Cuban has a particular reason as to why he isn't a mainstay at Dallas' games anymore, whether at the American Airlines Center or elsewhere.

READ MORE: LA Lakers 'Eyeing' Former Maverick as Trade Target

What is that reason? "The NBA got really, really, really petty, and won't let me sit behind the bench anymore," he told Marc Stein of The Stein Line. Because he is no longer a majority owner of the team, he has lost the ability to sit where he typically did – though even then, it was technically a violation of NBA rules to sit right behind the bench. The league bent the rules to accommodate him, but now that he is in a different position in management and ownership, they have revoked his privilege.

A firebrand of a person and one of the most passionate members of Dallas' premier basketball franchise, Cuban's absence is noticeable, as he spent much of his time in controversy with officials, and occasionally other fans. Though he mostly matured out of this phase as he grew older, his importance to the franchise overall cannot be understated, and he still holds a crucial role in its operations today.

READ MORE: 3 Takeaways From Mavericks' Road Win Over Hawks

Stick with MavericksGameday for more FREE coverage of the Dallas Mavericks throughout the 2024-25 Season

Follow MavericksGameday on Twitter and Keenan Womack on Twitter.

More Dallas Mavericks News

Published
Keenan Womack
KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.

Home/News