The owner of Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban has been fined by the NBA, over his derogatory remarks towards officials for their control controversial call in their game against ATL Hawks.
The heavy fine levelled on Mark Cuban by the NBA and Commish Adam Silverare, according to the report obtained from TMZ, was to send a strong message to the rest of the league against those sort of behaviours.
Mark Cuban had lost her s cool on the refs and the league over a goal tending call in the final seconds of a Mavericks vs. ATL Hawks game.
Cuban felt the refs did his team dirty and ultimately blamed the officials for the Mavericks ultimately losing the game.
The NBA reacting to the allegations said, “Immediately after the game ended, Mr Mark Cuban walked onto the court and approached game officials shaking his head and directing comments toward them.”
After the game, Cuban continued to rip the refs to reporters and then sounded off on Twitter.
The NBA says the comments were “highly critical, personal and demeaning to the league and its officiating staff.”
Mark Cuban had filed an official protest hoping the league would rule to replay the end of the game — but his appeal was denied.
In a strongly-worded statement, the league ripped Cuban for his behaviour — saying he’s setting a terrible example for the rest of the league, sending a bad message to fans and creating an “intimidating workplace environment.”
The NBA official statement on Mark Cuban reads:
“It is a recognized part of sports for fans and the media at times to criticize officiating, but team executives must be held to a higher standard.”
“A team owner’s effort to influence refereeing decisions during and after a game creates the perception of an unfair competitive advantage and thereby undermines the integrity of the game.”
“Demeaning league employees also creates an intimidating workplace environment. With an increased focus on respectful conduct by coaches, players and fans during games, the actions of team executives should set an example and not lower expectations for appropriate behavior in our arenas.”
In its statement, the NBA acknowledges “officiating is one of the toughest jobs in sports” — and says the league is doing everything it can to ensure competitive fairness and integrity.