Mark Cuban never minced words during his time as the Dallas Mavericks owner, but his take on NBA players competing in the Olympics might surprise you. While fans celebrate seeing their favorite stars represent Team USA on the world’s biggest stage, Cuban saw it differently. He hated it, complained about it every year, and had some solid reasons.
Why Did Mark Cuban Hate Sending NBA Players to the Olympics?
Cuban made his thoughts on sending NBA players to the Olympics crystal clear in an interview with Sirius XM’s NBA Radio. He didn’t just dislike it, he declared that he hated having to send guys to the competition and made his complaints known with the league every year.
“I hated it”
Mark Cuban tells @termineradio, @Jumpshot8, and Ryan McDonough his thoughts on NBA players participating in the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/rK57vnMF3e
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) July 12, 2025
“I hated it,” Cuban said. “I complained about it every single year, because, guys going to play for the Olympics, Comcast NBC is making billions, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) making billions, even FIBA making a lot, and we (NBA Teams) are giving all these guys for free and taking all the injury risk. There hasn’t been dramatic injuries, but all you need to know is that if a guy is a free agent and hurt, he ain’t playing.”
Cuban’s frustration boils down to simple business math. The Olympics generate massive revenue for broadcasters, the International Olympic Committee, and FIBA. Meanwhile, NBA teams provide their most valuable assets for free while shouldering all the injury risk. It’s a deal that benefits everyone except the teams writing the paychecks.
What Do Recent Injuries Tell Us About Cuban’s Concerns?
Cuban raises a concern that resonates with owners across the league regarding international competition. NBA players already grind through a long 82-game regular season and hope to play even more games to advance through the playoffs toward an NBA Championship.
The 2025 playoffs provided a stark example of Cuban’s fears coming true. Two players who logged heavy minutes over the past two seasons, including for the US Olympic team, suffered devastating injuries that ruled them out not only for the rest of the 2025 playoffs but also for the 2025-26 season.
Those two players are Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered a torn Achilles in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and Jayson Tatum, who suffered a torn Achilles in the second round of the NBA playoffs this past year. Both players also played deep into the playoffs in 2024, with Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers losing in the Eastern Conference Finals. Tatum and the Boston Celtics went on to win the 2024 NBA Championship.
Following the 2024 playoffs, both players suited up for the US Olympic team and helped lead the US to a gold medal. However, with virtually no offseason, both players played a full regular-season workload. Tatum appeared in 72 regular-season games, while Haliburton played 73. Both would suffer torn Achilles injuries that not only sidelined them for the rest of the 2025 playoffs but will likely sideline them for the entire 2025-26 NBA season.
While neither injury directly resulted from their Olympic performances, Cuban makes a valid point about the risk. If an injury like that were to occur at an Olympic competition, the players’ NBA team is still on the hook for their rehabilitation and recovery. Given that Olympic players are typically stars on their teams, they’re facing a completely different trajectory after injury than they would be before.
The Celtics and Pacers now both face that reality for the upcoming season. Both teams were expected to be contenders again before the injuries, but they will struggle to reach that level with some of their top talent done for the year before it starts.
