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Silver in memo to teams: “If we ever received evidence that players or coaches were attempting to lose or otherwise taking steps to cause any game to result otherwise than on its competitive merits, that conduct would be met with the swiftest and harshest response possible from the league office.”



Comment made following [Cuban’s previous fine](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2018/02/21/mavs-owner-mark-cuban-fined-tanking-comments/360493002/) for similar violations.

>”*Over the past several seasons, discussions about so-called ‘tanking’ in the NBA have occurred with some frequency, both in the public discourse and within our league, and you as governors have taken steps to address the underlying incentive issues by adopting changes to our draft lottery system that will go into effect next year. Throughout this period, we have been careful to distinguish between efforts teams may make to rebuild their rosters, including through personnel changes over the course of several seasons, and circumstances in which players or coaches on the floor take steps to lose games. The former can be a legitimate strategy to construct a successful team within the confines of league rules; the latter — which we have not found and hope never to see in the NBA — has no place in our game. If we ever received evidence that players or coaches were attempting to lose or otherwise taking steps to cause any game to result otherwise than on its competitive merits, that conduct would be met with the swiftest and harshest response possible from the league office.*”

Being that it’s the same offender as before, I can’t see the league reacting lightly. I can’t find any official indication of what punishment the league can pursue, but journalists have suggested they can do more than [simple fines](https://nba.nbcsports.com/2022/10/22/adam-silver-says-nba-going-to-be-paying-particular-attention-to-tanking-this-season/):

> In theory they could fine a team or take away draft picks for blatant tanking, but that would require proof of intending to lose games — teams are smart enough to avoid that. From long rests for relatively minor injuries to leaning into playing their youth for experience, there are legitimate basketball reasons teams can come up with, reasons that just happen lower their odds of winning.

Unlike the Blazers or other tanks, there’s no plausible argument that the Mavs were motivated by any goal other than improving their draft odds, and JKidd was enough of an idiot to admit it.

by SchmidhuberDidIt

38 Comments

  1. HesiPullup

    If the NBA takes the draft pick and in turn the Mavs fire Kidd, is it worth it Mavs fans?

  2. StefonDiggsHS

    Knicks fans having so much fun right now

  3. Poor Cuban is going to have to pay a small fine. How will he ever recover?

  4. mMounirM

    just remove the pick. screws the mavs and knicks fan will still be pissed. both teams lose

  5. Razor-Ramon-Sessions

    This is so dumb.

    What have the Blazers been doing for the last month exactly?

  6. braggpeak

    If it’s a harsh penalty, it’s only because the play-in was Silver’s attempt to make end of season games and more teams more competitive and they basically openly ignored it

  7. SuperstarTraxRecords

    What a month for Cubez.

    Loses the worst protest in NBA history, has his team completely bottom out, his star player now wants to leave, and he may just get a giant fine and lose any picks he tried to improve to cap it off.

    That’s how you run a team folks.

  8. Extension_Risk_744

    The Blazers finding someone named JEENATHAN to play for them wasn’t enough evidence???

  9. MilkCarton78

    Swiftest and harshest response? Damn, Silver must have an entire gaggle of Colangelos ready to take over GM duties for a lot of organizations.

  10. Literal_Satan

    remove the protection, rig lotto so the pick goes to 1 to truly punish them (no bias)

  11. DaReal_Denny_Boy

    The NBA’s selective use of certain rules for some teams, and ignoring it for others is preposterous. The Mavs aren’t doing anything teams like Portland and others, haven’t done. I think Cuban is a cry baby, but come on.

  12. n00-1ne

    How many teams this week have “rested” their entire starting 5? They are withholding their best players for an advantage. How is that any different?

  13. Batman_in_hiding

    Y’all don’t seem to realize that tanking is one of the biggest issues for the league. They absolutely hate the idea of it being normalized however it’s something that’s next to impossible to prove.

    Silver has been licking his chops waiting for a team to slip up so he could send a strong clear message to teams.

  14. LostNTheNoise

    Get rid of trades for protected picks.

  15. JayDogon504

    Adam Silver such a lame. NOW you wanna try to be strict huh? Lmao this shouldn’t even be an issue that a team is tryna do what’s best for the future of their franchise in the last game of the season. That nerd needs to sit down somewhere and try to focus on the real issues

  16. TubbzMcGee

    Chauncey sucks as a coach but at least he isn’t stupid enough to outright admit tanking to the press.

  17. lycosid

    It’s so funny that the Mavs are about to find out what the tanking death penalty is because some idiot in marketing scheduled Slovenia Night for the second to last game of the year.

  18. popcrnshower

    The Mavs did nothing wrong. It’s not their job to fix something the NBA can’t.

  19. skrulewi

    Well now that I read it the line is quite clear.

    Players and coaches cannot play to lose. GMs and team doctors can.

  20. 3____Username____20

    Yeah theres a line crossed when you’re actively avoiding the play in. I can’t think of any examples of a potential playoff team tanking in the late season to avoid the playoffs because they don’t like their chances.

  21. _Zap_Rowsdower_

    Silver is an idiot for worrying so much for teams tanking.

  22. King_Leif

    “Swiftest and harshest response possible”

    Mr. Cuban has been banned. FOR LIFE.

  23. maxandgeorge

    Not a fan of Cuban or the Mavs but it would be ridiculous for them to be punished. The Clippers and Lakers don’t get punished for letting Kawhi or AD chill for 30 games. That hurts their chances of winning.

    Portland resting Dame for a month because they’re dogshit hurts their chances to win.

  24. ForneauCosmique

    Except for betting of course, that doesn’t change the merits of competitiveness

  25. PensiveinNJ

    Ok, so do it to the Mavs then. Don’t just talk about it Silver you ineffectual twit.

  26. PensiveinNJ

    Adam Silver is that parent that always threatens they’re gonna do something but never does so the kids never actually behave. What a clown.

  27. GeoffreysComics

    Here’s my crazy idea. The team with the best record to NOT make the playoffs should have the most balls in the lottery. Reward the teams that almost made it would help push teams upward faster competitively. And it would ensure that no one is tanking because it would hurt your draft chances.

    Now will a number 10 seed tank in my system to get *out* of the playoffs? I don’t think so- I just can’t imagine a team giving up a playoff spot for more lottery balls.

  28. He’ll make your team hire Bryan “ normal size collars” Colangelo to come in and sabotage your team

  29. thegodofwine7

    Look we’re all trying to find the guy who did this.

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