Mark Cuban Slams IOC, Says Olympic Games are a ‘Business’

Although Mark Cuban is not the majority owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks anymore, he nonetheless has sturdy opinions on skilled basketball gamers taking part within the 2024 Summer Olympics.

On X, Cuban mentioned he has “all the time been in opposition to NBA gamers enjoying within the Olympics” and linked to a few weblog posts he is penned in years previous that discuss in regards to the enterprise of sports activities.

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“The Olympics are a enterprise. First and final,” Cuban wrote. “We must always placed on our personal World Cup and deal with the Olympics like Soccer does.”

The Olympics are a enterprise. First and final.

I’ve all the time been in opposition to NBA gamers enjoying within the Olympics. We must always placed on our personal World Cup and deal with the Olympics like Soccer does. https://t.co/RrABlkNFtjhttps://t.co/vWiLnEAEh2https://t.co/Rtc5z2bKEt https://t.co/OwF4kH576K

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) July 27, 2024

In a 2004 weblog submit, Cuban wrote that by offering the IOC with NBA gamers who’re already signed to contracts within the USA, the league is basically offering free promoting and publicity whereas placing gamers prone to damage.

“What on the earth are we doing serving to our companions’ competitors,” Cuban penned. “Why are we giving our Most worthy manpower to an enormous enterprise, the Olympics to allow them to attempt to take income away from the NBA and our companions?”

In 2012, Cuban wrote a blog post that referred to the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) as a “monopoly” and referred to the group as being a “dysfunctional, dated and corrupt governing physique and system.

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“I do not need to sound un-American as I’ve simply as a lot enjoyable and delight as most once we get the chance to chant U-S-A! U-S-A! However I additionally know that really feel of nationalism would not change a bit if the athletes had been getting paid an honest sum of money,” he wrote. “In actual fact, what may very well be extra American than getting paid a fair proportion for exhausting work?”

Athletes on the Video games win cash prizes in the event that they win a medal, however don’t receives a commission solely for his or her participation within the competitors.

Cuban posted after rival Elon Musk famous the IOC and airing companion NBC have placed copyright restrictions on sure clips and highlights of the Olympic Video games on X, making the content material unavailable.

“This goes in opposition to the spirit of the Olympic Video games,” the original post stated, noting that the Video games needs to be accessible to everybody. “Make it accessible to everybody, in all places on all platforms.”

Cuban was the proprietor of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks earlier than selling his majority stake to Miriam Adelson for roughly $3.5 billion in December 2023.