Mark Cuban has never been shy about his opinions, and his latest salvo is directed squarely at the Olympics and the NBA’s participation in it. Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Cuban reignited an old debate with new fire: established NBA stars shouldn’t be risking their careers playing in the Olympics for free. In his eyes, the solution is simple, ban veterans, and let the young guns take over.
“Hated it. I complained about it every single year, because in my attitude, guys going to play for the Olympics, NBC, Comcast NBC, is making billions, right? The IOC is making billions. Even FIBA, making a lot. I don’t know exactly. And we’re giving all these guys for free and taking all the injury risks.”
“Now, there haven’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, right? I hated it.”
“What I would tell David Stern and then Adam, I’m like, you know how in soccer, for the Olympics it’s 21 and under, or 22, whatever it is, and then they own the World Cup and the World Cup’s a bigger event?”
“I’m like, give them more young kids, right? Do the same thing as soccer. Let the 21-and-under play for the Olympics and then create our own International World Cup.”
“So instead of just the All-Star Game… and they were like, ‘Well, FIBA—we’ve got this contract with FIBA.’ Well, that contract will expire. And then immediately, like, they wouldn’t tell me anything, and they go, ‘Okay, we signed an extension with FIBA.'”
“I’m like, just think how much money is involved, right? The players, literally, we could be almost as big as the Soccer World Cup, which is one of the biggest sporting events in the world. In soccer, it’s bigger than the Olympics. And so we could do the exact same thing.”
“And I think we should. And I think the players would make a lot more money from it. You could support a lot of the global teams, all the different countries. But Adam wouldn’t go for it. So that’s why I sold my team.”
The timing of his comments couldn’t be more poignant. Two of Team USA’s 2024 Olympic representatives, Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, suffered devastating Achilles injuries during the 2025 NBA playoffs.
While neither logged heavy Olympic minutes, the cumulative toll of practices, exhibition games, and international wear-and-tear on NBA-caliber bodies is undeniable. It adds up, and for players on max contracts, the risks are enormous.
Cuban’s solution borrows from international soccer’s Olympic model. Olympic soccer limits participation to Under-23 players with only three overage exceptions per squad. Cuban believes the NBA should do the same, restrict Olympic play to younger, emerging talent, and then build its own basketball World Cup to rival FIFA’s global phenomenon.
The Mavericks‘ owner eventually sold his controlling stake in the franchise but retains influence in NBA business circles. His parting shot was clear: as long as the NBA continues to hand over its stars to the Olympics with no ownership over the process or profit, it’s failing to protect both the league and its players.
The debate is heating up again as Paris 2024 fades into the rearview and injuries mount. Should superstars ever lace up for the Olympics? Or is it time for a new generation, under 23, hungry for the spotlight, to carry the flag?
Mark Cuban has made his stance known. The rest of the league might soon have to choose a side.
