NBA Commissioner Adam Silver explained why Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was not banned, despite the multiple sexual harassment charges that have arisen from within the Mavs organization. Silver said that through investigation, he discovered that Cuban was not directly implicated in the conduct. Therefore, suspending him wasn't necessary.
From Ian Begley of ESPN:
“That was an important factor for me in making that decision,” Silver said Friday after the league's board of governors meetings in Manhattan. “Should he have known in many cases? Absolutely. But again, from the 215 witness interviews, the over a million pages [of documents in the report], the clear picture that was presented was Mark was absentee from the business side of the organization. So that was a critically important factor.”
While Cuban agreed to contribute $1o million to women's organizations, he will not face punishment over the allegations against some male members of his staff against women. Silver helped orchestrate this investigation of Cuban and his franchise for the past seven months, so he feels that he has collected sufficient data.
A report back in February described the situation as “a corporate culture rife with misogyny and predatory sexual behavior.” 15 female employees of the Mavs had examples of improper work conduct in various emails and text messages. There were even some cases of physical abuse.
Cuban has been one of the most polarizing figures in sports even before he bought the Mavs in 2000. This is not a good look for his franchise, but Silver didn't think Cuban needed any further punishment.
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