Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban didn't hesitate to approach the referees to argue against a call. During a timeout in the Mavs' game against the Houston Rockets, Cuban casually stepped onto the court, approached one of the referees, then had a chat with him.
Apparently, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Cuban discussed the subject of no-calls with referee Mitchell Ervin.
Mark Cuban walked all the way out to the paint during the timeout to have a discussion with ref Mitchell Ervin about no-calls.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) February 12, 2019
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle questioned if owners like Cuban are allowed to step onto the court and argue with the referees. If he is, then he should also be subject to the same rules, such as receiving a warning or technical foul when shouting from his seat — an antic he's fond of doing.
Uh, is the owner allowed out on the court to argue with officials now? It is a time out, but if Mark Cuban is considered part of the team — which seems OK — then he should be subject to same interpretation on Ts when he shouts from his seat.
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) February 12, 2019
Should the referees apply the same rules to Cuban? Which means that he can casually approach the referees and discuss how they're officiating the game? Or should they treat him as a civilian and ban him from entering the court, let alone talk to one of the officials?
This seems like a discussion for NBA executives. Besides, Cuban hasn't done anything of harm. He's always present to support his team. Not all owners make an effort to watch their team play night in and night out.
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