My comment has not so much do do with the sport of business and more of the business of sport:

As a professional sports team owner, I’d like to know your opinion of professional sports salaries. What percentage of your (or the average NBA team’s) total expenses is player’s salary/benefits? How much effect do players salaries have on ticket prices? What is your profit margin (if any)? I ask because as a sports enthusiast I find it fairly reprehensible as to how much ticket prices have escalated year after year. Going to games (NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB) is no longer within the ability of the average “middle class”. I used to go to on average, 15 NHL games, 5 NBA games, 15 MLB games annually. The economy not withstanding, the last 5 years or so I have averaged 2 NHL games, 0 NBA games, 8 MLB games. The cost of taking the family is outrageous. I won’t throw out statistics as to the cost per game because I am sure you are aware of them already. With a 42″ hdtv in the family room, it is much easier to convince the kids to stay home and watch games than spend hundreds of dollars to watch a live game for a few hours. Circling back to my initial questions: players look at their salaries as being paid by you owners, whereas it is us fans who pay a significant portion of their salaries, not only from ticket sales, but merchandising as well as being forced to sit through endless commercials while watching games on tv. Do they realize their 15,000 square foot homes, $125,000 cars, and ridiculous “bling” are subsidized not so much by you but by average americans who add to their debt by superfluous spending on a three hour sports game? Record player contracts happen annually, in hand with rising ticket prices, which easily outpace inflation. There has to come a time when ticket prices hit a level where people just say to hell with it. Care to comment, or is it an NBA finable offense to do so?

Let me state my concern for the NBA using a comment you made in a recent blog: >>>>>>Business environments change. When they do, and continue to, there are two basic choices. You can do it the way it’s always been done, or you can challenge yourself to change the game.

The NBA I feel has a serious problem in this new economic reality we live. Its not so much with the product on the floor generally but the overall expense of doing business from both an owner perspective (ridiculously high salaries) and high cost of tickets over the 82 plus game schedule that fans have to support. The arduous schedule with back to back games, including travel days often takes away from the quality of the game. This creates an inconsistency of quality product delivery and puts player injuries at risk, thereby leaving fans feeling cheated in a sense.

The new economic reality threatens the game and only the very elite teams can survive financially. It all has to be scaled down economically imo starting with high player salaries, many of which are ridiculous and then lowering ticket prices. You as an owner are caught in the middle but can be an agent of change. What is the NBA and Mavs new business model going forward. I fear if changes are not made the downward spiral begins if not already.

Please Mark write a blog on this subject with your personal views.

Here I am trying to understand how your mind works. I have a set of questions I really need to ask you:
1. How had your career align or deviate from your teenage dream or original blueprint?
2. Which one works better: Going-with-the-flow and maximizing our growth towards several directions for unspecified future opportunities; or; to have a very clear goal and sticking to it like a pit-bull?

I am sure a lot of your readers would love to know what’s your take on this.

ARE YOU SERIOUS CUBAN?? AT ANY LEVEL? NBA PLAYERS WOULD LAUGH IF THEY READ THIS. IM SURE AT YOUR LOCAL GYM, BUT NO, NOT AT “ANY LEVEL” BUT YOU ARE A GOOD OWNER AND I WOULDN’T MIND IF YOU BOUGHT THE DODGERS FROM OUR PATHETIC OWNERS.