FRANCISCO AND RIGHT HERE IN NEW YORK IMPACTED.
YORK IMPACTED. BRIAN: ALL RIGHT, DALLAS
MAVERICKS’ OWNER MARK CUE BARNES
MAYBE THE MOST HIGH PROFILE
SPORTS OPENER IN THE COUNTRY,
MARK CUBAN.
MARK CUBAN. I HAPPENED TO BE WATCHING ESPN,
AND YOUR JAW WAS LITERALLY ON
THE FLOOR THAT THE SEASON WAS
CANCELED.
CANCELED. HAS IT HAD A CHANCE TO SINK IN,
AND NOW WHAT DO YOU THINK A
COUPLE OF DAYS LATER?
>> YOU KNOW, IT CAUGHT ME BY
SURPRISE, OBVIOUSLY, AND IT
STILL HASN’T SUNK IN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE DID
THE RIGHT THING.
I THINK ADAM SILVER, OUR
COMMISSIONER, TOOK AGGRESSIVE
STEPS BECAUSE WE COULDN’T PUT
OUR PLAYERS, OUR EMPLOYEES, OUR
FANS IN A POSITION TO GET SICK.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS
SPREADING SO RAPIDLY, I’M GLAD
THE NBA WAS IN THE FOREFRONT OF
SHUTTING DOWN GAMES.
BRIAN: SO WHERE DO YOU GO FROM
HERE?
HERE? WHAT’S THE MESSAGE TO THE
PLAYERS AND THE FANS?
>> WELL, THE FIRST THING, YOU
KNOW, I TALKED TO THE PLAYERS
RIGHT AFTER THE GAME, OURS WAS
THE LAST GAME IN THE NBA, AND I
TOLD THEM YOU HAVE TO
SELF-QUARANTINE.
SELF-QUARANTINE. OBVIOUSLY, WE WANT TO KEEP YOU
HEALTHY, BUT BEING CELEBRITIES,
BEING SPECIAL ATHLETES THAT, YOU
KNOW, FANS WANT TO TOUCH, WANT
TO TAKE PICTURES WITH, WANT TO
BE CLOSE TO, YOU’RE PARTICULARLY
AT RISK OF CATCHING IT BUT ALSO
OF DISTRIBUTING IT, YOU KNOW?
THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THE
PLAYERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO, AND
I TOLD THEM IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT
YOU.
YOU. YOU HAVE GRANDPARENTS, YOU HAVE
PARENTS, YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT
YOU KNOW THAT MIGHT HAVE
COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEMS, SO
WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE
CARE OFUSTERS, AND WE’LL --
OURSELVES, IS AND WE’LL WORK
WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY STAY
HEALTHY, MAKE SURE THEY
SELF-QUARANTINE OR SOCIALLY
DISTANCE THEMSELVES SO THAT WE
KEEP SAFE AND KEEP THE PEOPLE
AROUND US SAFE.
BRIAN: AND WE KNOW THAT RUDY GO
BIRDIED NOT KNOW HE HAD IT, HE
HAS SINCE APOLOGIZED.
WHAT’S YOUR REACTION?
>> YOU KNOW, I MEAN, PEOPLE CAN
BE ARROGANT SOMETIMES OR
IGNORANT, IS AND HE JUST DIDN’T
KNOW.
KNOW. I MEAN, IT’S JUST, YOU KNOW,
IT’S THE AN UNFORTUNATE INSTANCE
THAT WILL TEACH A LOT OF PEOPLE
THAT YOU CAN’T JUST DISMISS IT.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HAS OUR
OWN RESPONSIBILITY TO REALLY
KEEP OURSELVES CLEAN LIKE
DR. FAUCI WAS SAYING AND THE
DOCTOR EARLIER, KEEP YOURSELF
CLEAN, TRY NOT TO TOUCH YOUR
FACE AND REALLY BE AWARE OF
SURFACES AROUND YOU.
RUDY WAS IGNORANT TO THAT, AND
HOPEFULLY, PEOPLE WILL LEARN
FROM HIS MISTAKES.
BRIAN: YOU USED TO BE GRINDING
IT OUT SLEEPING ON PEOPLE’S
FLOORS, YOU KNOW WHAT IT’S LIKE
TO BE AN USHER AND WORK THE
ARENA.
ARENA. THEY’RE OUT OF A JOB NOW.
WHAT ARE THE MAVERICKS DOING?
>> IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST
THINGS THAT CROSSED MY MIND THAT
WHEN WE POSTPONE GAMES, THOSE
FOLKS WHO DO ALL THE JOBS YOU
MENTION AREN’T GOING TO GET
PAID, PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING BY
THE HOUR AREN’T GOING TO GET
PAID.
PAID. SO WE PUT TOGETHER A PROGRAM
WHERE WE’RE GOING TO PAY THEM AS
IF THOSE GAMES TOOK PLACE.
WE WOULD HAVE HAD A GAME COMING
UP TOMORROW, AND WE’LL PAY THEM
AS IF THAT GAME HAPPENED.
I ENCOURAGE OTHERS -- NOT ALL
SMALL BUSINESSES ARE GOING TO BE
ABLE TO KEEP PAYING THEIR HOURLY
WORKERS IN PARTICULAR, SO I
ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO CAN TO
CONTINUE TO DO SO.
AND I SAY THE SAME THING TO
HOURLY WORKERS, BE COGNIZANT OF
THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF YOUR
COMPANY.
COMPANY. YOU KNOW, IF CEOS AND EVEN SMALL
ENTREPRENEURS CAN WORK TOGETHER
WITH THEIR EMPLOYEES, YOU CAN
FIND A RESOLUTION AND,
HOPEFULLY, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE
MONTHS ALL THE VIRUS STUFF
RESOLVES ITSELF AND EVERYBODY
CAN KEEP THEIR JOBS.
BUT IT’S GOING TO TAKE CEOS AND
EMPLOYEES WORKING TOGETHER TO
MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
BRIAN: YOU KNOW, IT’S TRUE,
TEXAS REALLY IS A BUNCH OF
PEOPLE THAT LEARNED TO BE
SELF-SUFFICIENT.
SELF-SUFFICIENT. THAT’S WHO YOUR ANCESTRY IS, IS
AND I THINK IT’S GOING TO COME
BACK TO THAT.
HOWEVER, FOR THE FIRST TIME
MAYBE IN A LONG TIME, MAYBE A
LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE SPORTS
WORLD WILL LOOK TO WASHINGTON TO
HELP.
HELP. YOU’RE IN BOTH WORLDS.
YOU’RE IN THE INVESTMENT WORLD
AND THE SPORTS WORLD.
WHEN YOU’RE LOOKING AT THAT A
MARKET, WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?
>> SO, OBVIOUSLY, EVERYBODY’S
TAKEN A HIT, BUT I LOOK AT WHEN
WAS THE LAST TIME THE MARKET WAS
AT THIS LEVEL, AND WE HIT THIS
NUMBER RIGHT AROUND DECEMBER OF
2018.
2018. SO IT’S ONLY BEEN A LITTLE BIT
MORE THAN A YEAR, AND AS PAINFUL
AS IT IS BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE TO
LOOK AT THEIR 401(K) AND THEIR
STOCK STATEMENT, YOU KNOW, YOU
HAVE TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT.
NO ONE GOT TOO EXCITED, PEOPLE
DIDN’T SAY THIS SHOULDN’T BE
HAPPENING WHEN IT WAS GOING
STRAIGHT UP VERY QUICKLY, AND
YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE COUNTER OF
THAT AS WELL.
YOU CAN’T GET TOO UPSET.
WHAT I TELL EVERYBODY IS IF YOU
DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO, DO
NOTHING BECAUSE IT’S IMPOSSIBLE
TO TIME THE MARKET.
BRIAN: TRUE.
BRIAN: TRUE. NOW WASHINGTON, FOR THE AIRLINE
INDUSTRY, THE HOSPITALITY
INDUSTRY THE, YOUR INDUSTRY,
THEY’RE TRYING TO COME UP WITH
SOME TYPE OF AID PACKAGE.
HOW WOULD YOU AFFECT THE COMMON
MAN AND WOMAN, THE FAMILY, AND
EVEN THE NIGHT YOU WERE
INTERVIEWED ON ESPN, IT WAS
ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE WASHINGTON DOES
FOR THE FAMILIES?
>> I HOPE WE’RE PROACTIVE TO
KEEP PEOPLE WORKING.
YOU KNOW, IT’S ONE THING TO SAY
WE’LL DO TAX CREDIT, OTHER
PEOPLE TALKED ABOUT A HELICOPTER
DROP WHERE YOU JUST WRITE A
CHECK FROM THE GOVERNMENT.
MY PREFERENCE IS WE SET A SET OF
STANDARDS THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE
THROUGH THE SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION WE’LL DO A QUICK
TURN AROUND OR THROUGH THE FED
SO THAT SMALL COMPANIES WHO NEED
TO BORROW MONEY CAN IF THEY KEEP
THEIR EMPLOYEES ON PAYROLL.
BIG COMPANIES CAN IF THEY KEEP
THEIR EMPLOYEES ON PAYROLL.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS ONCE YOU
CUT AN EMPLOYEE, IT’S SO MUCH
MORE DIFFICULT TO FIND THE
REASON TO BRING THEM BACK.
AND SO IF YOU CAN DO SOMETHING
THAT REQUIRES PEOPLE TO KEEP
PEOPLE EMPLOYED, YOU KNOW, AND
THERE’S PART OF ME -- THE
LIBERTARIAN PART OF ME DOESN’T
LIKE THAT, BUT WHEN YOU’RE IN
CRISIS, YOU HAVE TO RESPOND TO
THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN FRONT OF
YOU.
YOU. YOU CAN’T BE DOGMATIC.
I WOULD WANT TO SEE A
REQUIREMENT OR AT LEAST THE HOPE
THAT PEOPLE RETAIN EMPLOYEES IN
ORDER TO QUALIFY FOR AID BECAUSE
THAT’S WHAT WE NEED.
WE NEED CONTINUE KNEW MY WAS --
CONTINUITY BECAUSE, HOPEFULLY,
THIS HAS A LIMITED HORIZON.
HOPEFULLY, WE START TO RETURN TO
NORMAL IN 8, 9 WEEKS.
SO IF ALL WE’RE DOING IS
EFFECTIVELY SUBSIDIZING
EFFECTIVELY SUBSIDIZING EMPLOYMENT FOR 8 OR9 WEEKS, THAT
IS GOING TO BE CHEAPER TO THE
COUNTRY AS A WHOLE THAN LETTING
PEOPLE GET FIRED, GETTING THEM
THROUGH THE PROCESS OF
UNEMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT SYSTEMS
AND THEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT
WAYS TO GET THEM HIRED BACK.
THAT’S DIFFICULT.
THAT’S DIFFICULT. KEEPING THEM ON SALARY, ON
PAYROLL IS FAR -- IT’S THE PATH
OF LEAST RESISTANCE AND A LOT
LESS FRICTION.
LESS FRICTION. BRIAN: THE NBA FANS, PEOPLE
WATCHING YOUR LEAGUE, THE MLS
AND BASEBALL, WHAT’S YOUR
MESSAGE?
MESSAGE? IS THIS A DELAY OR IS THIS OVER?
>> I THINK WE’LL PLAY, AND I
THINK THE KEY TO THAT WILL BE DO
PLAYERS, ANY OF THE LEAGUES, DO
PLAYERS CONTRACT THE VIRUS.
IF THEY DON’T, YOU KNOW, WE’VE
HAD TWO PLAYERS IN THE NBA
CONTRACT SO FAR.
IF IT’S LIMITED TO TWO, THREE OR
FOUR, I THINK WE GO BACK
RELATIVELY QUICKLY AND THE SAME
WITH THE OTHER LEAGUES.
THE ONLY REAL ISSUE IS IF
PLAYERS CONTRACT IT, THEN WE
HAVE TO ALLOW THEM TIME TO HEAL
AND GET HEALTHY.
SO IF WE KEEP THE NUMBER OF
INSTANCES DOWN AND THEN, IN
GENERAL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES
AND LITERALLY ACROSS THE WORLD
WE START TO SEE A RESOLUTION TO
THE VIRUS, THEN I THINK WE GET
BACK PROBABLY BY THE MIDDLE OF
THE SUMMER.
THE SUMMER. BRIAN: OKAY.
BRIAN: OKAY. I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU’RE GOING
TO DO, YOU KNOW?
YOU GO TO EVERY SINGLE GAME, YOU
SIT UP FRONT LIKE SO MANY
AMERICANS.
AMERICANS. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH. A LOT OF -- WITH SPRING BREAK
COMING UP, THERE’S GOING TO BE A
LOT OF FORCED FAMILY FUN ACROSS
THE COUNTRY.
THE COUNTRY. BRIAN: ALL RIGHT.
MONOPOLY AND YAHTZEE.