Mark Cuban Slams NBA for ‘Petty’ Road Game Ban

Mark Cuban is no longer the majority owner of Dallas Mavericks, and that apparently means no more special treatment by the NBA.

After nearly 24 years of owning the Mavericks, Cuban sold his controlling interest in the franchise to Las Vegas Sands owners Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont in late 2023. While Cuban said at the time there would be no changes after the sale, that is not true, as Cuban has found out firsthand.

Cuban, who has been a very visible and vocal presence at Mavericks games throughout the 21st century, said he is no longer allowed to sit behind the Mavericks’ bench during road games, something he made a habit of over the years despite it being against league rules.

“The NBA got really, really, really petty and said that I can’t sit behind the bench anymore,” Cuban told NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.

Mark Cuban confirms he is not ‘making day-to-day decisions’ after selling Mavericks

While the seats at away games would appear to be a personal insult, the more important confirmation may be that Cuban is not involved as much in the team’s day-to-day operations as he would have liked or had planned when he sold the team.

At the time of the sale, Cuban said he would remain in charge of the team’s basketball operations, a role for which he drew criticism over the years. However, as some expected and has been reported, Cuban’s role has decreased over the past year.

“I’m not there making day-to-day decisions. That’s all Nico [Harrison, the Mavericks’ general manager]. That’s just the way it’s evolved,” Cuban told Stein. “Honestly … is it exactly the way I expected it to be? No. But we’re winning and things are going well. I’m fine with it.”

Cuban said he would like to be the majority owner sometimes, and for others, he is glad to not be involved. But he said he would always like to air his grievances to the NBA directly via owners meetings.

“The only time I feel any regret is when the NBA pisses me off,” Cuban said. “Maybe it would be different if we were losing and things weren’t going well, but things are going well. It’s nothing specific to the Mavs. I can’t go into NBA meetings anymore and give them shit for being petty.”

During Cuban’s time as majority owner, the Mavericks won an NBA Championship in 2011 and made it to the Finals in 2006 as well. This past season, the Mavericks made their first Finals appearance since Dirk Nowitzki led them to a championship 13 years ago, although Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Mavs lost in five games to the Boston Celtics.