Mark Cuban quote on tanking.

[Yogi]

"A quick story. The week I bought the Mavs I was asked by Nellie if I wanted to bag the season in order to get the best draft pick that we could. My response was “No. At some point this franchise has to learn how to win and develop a culture of winning. You don't create that culture by tanking the season. I don't know how many games we can win, but we are going to try to win every one of them.” Thank goodness we didn't tank the season It wasn't a very good draft. And that turn around for the rest of the season helped define who we were and are to this day."

[The Rondo Show]

"A quick story. The week I bought the Mavs I was asked by Nellie if I wanted to bag the season in order to get the best draft pick that we could. My response was “No. At some point this franchise has to learn how to win and develop a culture of winning. You don't create that culture by tanking the season. I don't know how many games we can win, but we are going to try to win every one of them.” Thank goodness we didn't tank the season It wasn't a very good draft. And that turn around for the rest of the season helped define who we were and are to this day."

I agree with him

[LilRip]

i dont think tanking is the way to go for any team. However, losing because of roster flaws is a completely different story.

[PaulPierce34G]

I don't think the team will initially set out to tank.  I think they will try their best from the get-go and see what happens, even if it doesn't produce a good number of wins.  If/When the season does eventually become lost, then you don't know at that point and they may start playing different rotations and very young guys to just tinker with things, as well as improve draft odds. 

[lightspeed5]

OKC didnt have a winning culture before westbrook and durant and harden. now look

[McNoob]

OKC didnt have a winning culture before westbrook and durant and harden. now look

I don't know about that. The Sonics were one of the best teams during the 90s. They faltered a bit in the 2000s but were still a respected team.

[PhoSita]

OKC didnt have a winning culture before westbrook and durant and harden. now look

Exactly.

A winning culture is important, but it's the sort of thing that doesn't make much difference if you don't have the talent, and is very easy to create if you do have the talent.

It's a nice sentiment from Cuban, but to me it sounds like a convenient narrative to make in retrospect.

[timobusa]

OKC didnt have a winning culture before westbrook and durant and harden. now look

Seattle/OKC did not tank, they just had bad teams around mid 2000's

They were a great team in the 90's.

[BudweiserCeltic]

OKC didnt have a winning culture before westbrook and durant and harden. now look

Seattle/OKC did not tank, they just had bad teams around mid 2000's

They were a great team in the 90's.

Unhealthy teams more than anything.

[European NBA fan]

OKC didnt have a winning culture before westbrook and durant and harden. now look

Exactly.

A winning culture is important, but it's the sort of thing that doesn't make much difference if you don't have the talent, and is very easy to create if you do have the talent.

It's a nice sentiment from Cuban, but to me it sounds like a convenient narrative to make in retrospect.

I seriously doubt that. Nowitzki has had a no trade clause longer than anyone else in the league. That fits a little better with Cuban's narrative than with your theory. So does their championship.

[JHTruth]

Kind of self-serving in my view. Are we seriously to believe that Cuban has never considered tanking a few games to get the next franchise player? I mean he's in no man's land now. Dirk is about done and the rest of his team is dismal. I'll bet he'll be singing a different tune soon. It's easy to talk big like this when you have a Dirk Nowitzki in his prime. Give me a few years of missing the playoffs, I'll bet he'll change his mind

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Kind of self-serving in my view. Are we seriously to believe that Cuban has never considered tanking a few games to get the next franchise player? I mean he's in no man's land now. Dirk is about done and the rest of his team is dismal. I'll bet he'll be singing a different tune soon. It's easy to talk big like this when you have a Dirk Nowitzki in his prime. Give me a few years of missing the playoffs, I'll bet he'll change his mind

So, because you feel that way or would, everyone else will too? I don't care what happens, I don't want us to lose intentionally! If we are bad we are bad but not for giving up!

[D.o.s.]

OKC didnt have a winning culture before westbrook and durant and harden. now look

[Onslaught]

OKC didnt have a winning culture before westbrook and durant and harden. now look

And they haven't won anything still either and I don't see them winning it all anytime soon.

[the_Bird]

OKC didnt have a winning culture before westbrook and durant and harden. now look

Exactly.

A winning culture is important, but it's the sort of thing that doesn't make much difference if you don't have the talent, and is very easy to create if you do have the talent.

It's a nice sentiment from Cuban, but to me it sounds like a convenient narrative to make in retrospect.

It certainly makes him sound much better than ML Carr, who ought to be banned from any association from professional basketball (as well as anyone else left from that front office).