Mark Cuban Has ‘More Than A Sliver Of Hope’ NBA Will Return This Season

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur joined KSL’s Dave & Dujanovic with Dave Noriega and Debbie Dujanovic Tuesday to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, how small businesses should handle the economic impact, and what to expect for the remainder of the NBA season.

The tech billionaire and host of television’s “Shark Tank” told Noriega and Dujanovic that he was optimistic basketball fans would see the NBA return this season in one form or another.

“I am just guessing, but I think we do play a season,” Cuban said, “Even though it will obviously be shortened, I do think we’ll have a playoff run. It may look totally different than it has in the past but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

‘America 2.0' @mcuban talked with us about what happens after the pandemichttps://t.co/jFARpSv9W3

— Dave and Dujanovic (@D2KSL) April 7, 2020

Cuban has preached that despite the tragedy of the current situation, the pandemic will create an opportunity for companies to rebuild and revamp the American way of life.

 “The NBA can try some new things,” Cuban said, “We’ll probably play later into the summer, probably try different types of TV broadcasts, different formats for playoffs, who knows, I am just speculating, but that can make it even more interesting.”

In an interview on TNT’s Inside the NBA, Commissioner Adam Silver said the league likely won’t know what the future of the season holds until at least May 1.

“We are looking at every possibility to get our players back on the floor to play NBA basketball again,” Silver said.

“It’s too early to project or predict where we’ll be in a few weeks.”@NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks with @TurnerSportsEJ on the current state of the league. #NBATogether pic.twitter.com/8UUmg3r8K5

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 6, 2020

When asked about the likelihood of games returning, Cuban pointed to his faith in the NBA’s front office, as well as health professionals in getting the league back and underway.

“I have more than a little sliver of hope,” Cuban expressed. “Adam [Silver] and the board of governors will make the decision and it will be safety first, there’s no way we’ll put the health of any of our players or employees or fans or customers at risk at all. We saw what happened with Rudy [Gobert] and Donovan [Mitchell] and it wasn’t pleasant for them and we don’t need anyone else going through that experience. It will be safety first, but once the scientists and doctors give us a path to safety then I do think we’ll figure it out.”

Cuban has been one of the league’s most progressive owners when it comes to taking care of his employees sidelined by the pandemic. Immediately following the suspension of the league, Cuban committed to paying the Mavericks hourly employees, while reimbursing employees who ordered meals from local Dallas restaurants.

As many have speculated, Cuban doesn’t anticipate a full return to the lives American’s were accustomed to before the coronavirus hit, he shared his faith in what he calls “America 2.0.”

“When we talk about playing games again, they won’t be with fans initially,” Cuban warned, “But by being proactive, by being entrepreneurial, we will come up with great ideas in this country that will allow us to regain the confidence we had before this all of this hit. And it’s a great opportunity. Utahns, Americans, everybody, if you have a vision for the way things should be when we come back, there will be no better time to try and innovate and create a new company to take advantage of it.”

Dave & Dujanovic can be heard weekdays from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app, as well as Apple Podcasts and Google Play.