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Coronavirus: Mark Cuban wants 'White House protocol' before reopening Mavs facility

Mark Cuban will only reopen the Dallas Mavericks' facility when his players can be tested as frequently as White House officials are.

By Liam Blackburn
Mark Cuban

New York, May 13: Mark Cuban will only reopen the Dallas Mavericks' facility when his players can be tested as frequently as White House officials are.

The NBA was suspended in dramatic fashion back in March when it emerged Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert had tested positive for coronavirus.

At the time, the Mavericks were playing the Denver Nuggets, and Cuban learned of the suspension while sat courtside during the game, with his stunned reaction going viral.

However, the NBA is now considering plans to restart the 2019-20 regular season, which was close to a conclusion, with a report on Tuesday suggesting players will be polled for their views.

The NBA has permitted practice facilities to reopen, provided they operate in states that have relaxed stay-at-home rulings, yet Cuban has insisted the Mavs' complex will remain closed regardless of directives from Texas officials.

To reopen it, Dallas' owner wants his players to have access to the level of testing US president Donald Trump and his senior advisors are afforded.

"I'll use the White House protocol," Cuban told The Athletic.

"The way the White House protects the president and vice-president is the way that I want to protect our players and employees, you know?

"We'll just try to just copy what they do as a means of knowing when the time is right. As of now, for all we know, for all we've been informed, anyways, they're testing everybody. And they test their top people on a daily basis.

"And so they have access to the best science, the best information, and so it just makes sense to me that we just copy them."

Asked whether he was optimistic if such testing would be available "in a month, two months", Cuban added: "Yes, absolutely.

"I just trust American exceptionalism, entrepreneurialism spirit and capitalism. You know, we'll figure out a way because we have to."

Story first published: Wednesday, May 13, 2020, 8:45 [IST]
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