The NBA should resume hosting games as soon as it is safe to do so amid concerns of the coronavirus outbreak, urged Mark Cuban, investor, owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and cohost of ABC’s Shark Tank. He offered his remarks on Thursday’s edition of SiriusXM’s Breitbart News Daily with host Alex Marlow.
Cuban is among several sports league commissioners selected by President Donald Trump to serve as advisers on a committee examining the resumption of sports given coronavirus-related shutdowns. The committee includes the UFC’s Dana White and WWE owner Vince McMahon.
On Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, said sports leagues could resume play this summer if “no one comes to the stadium.”
Cuban responded to Fauci’s guidance, “I’m fine with it. I think we need sports. The first league that comes on television and starts broadcasting games is going to get a windfall.”
“With or without fans, everybody is going to get excited because we need something to cheer for,” continued Cuban. “We need something to get excited about. We need something to talk trash with our friends about, and we just don’t have that, right now.”
Restoration of sports leagues’ operations is “almost a moral imperative,” added Cuban, “as soon as it’s safe for us to play without fans.”
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In March, Cuban promised to continue paying workers at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, during the NBA’s suspension of play.
“I’m concerned about anybody who gets paid by the hour, because it’s very difficult for them to save any money,” Cuban remarked. “We’ve all seen the stats that 40 to 50 percent of people have less than $500 in the bank and literally are not going to be able to withstand this shock.”
Cuban concluded, “I’m trying to keep my people in jobs. I’m blessed I can afford to. I’m trying to get the companies that I know are doing well to hire more people, and I’m trying to support entrepreneurs to create companies to hire more people.”
Breitbart News Daily broadcasts live on SiriusXM Patriot 125 weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Eastern.
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