3. Cuban Acknowledges Tanking
2018 is the year of fine. Total Fine: $600,000*
Losing is never easy for sportsmen on the professional circuit. But there is a benefit to failing. In the majority of professional leagues, a team that places at the bottom of the standings has a better chance of obtaining a higher draft pick. This has motivated numerous club owners to demand that their teams intentionally lose games.
Cuban Acknowledges Tanking Aaron ©W. Henderson via Getty Pictures
Over the years, several teams have “tanked,” but none have been as open about it as Mark Cuban. The NBA imposed the penalties because they felt that this compromised the integrity of the game. Although Cuban has since acknowledged his sentence, he has maintained that he did nothing improper and was only attempting to do what was best for his club.