Isaac
Years ago

Cuban has considered drafting Brittney Griner

"If she is the best on the board, I will take her. I've thought about it. I’ve thought about it already. Would I do it? Right now, I’d lean toward yes, just to see if she can do it. You never know unless you give somebody a chance, and it’s not like the likelihood of any late-50s draft pick has a good chance of making it."
Big gimmick but no chance of it being more than that.

Griner responded on Twitter:
"I would hold my own! Lets do it"
Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said:
"I think it would be a sham," he said. "The fact that a woman could actually play right now in the NBA and compete successfully against the level of play that they have is absolutely ludicrous."
Cuban is worming around it a bit:
"We evaluate every draft-eligible player on the planet," Cuban said in an email to USA Today responding to Auriemma's criticism. "The chance of any college graduate selected at the end of the draft making a roster is very, very small. We wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't consider everyone.

"As I told the media yesterday, she would have to excel in workouts to get drafted. I have no problem giving her that opportunity. I hope she gives it a shot.

"Nothing harms an organization or company more than a closed mind."
I liked this article on Yahoo, with a headline:
Mark Cuban mentions drafting Brittney Griner because 'hey everybody, let’s look at Mark Cuban!’
And this finale:
It’s not marketing genius, sports fans. It’s a lack of imagination.
Full Yahoo article

Topic #31322 | Report this topic


curtley  
Years ago

If I was the Manager of an NBL club I'd do the same thing.

Reply #412240 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

I wouldn't.

Reply #412241 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

I'm a girl and i even think that's ridiculous. Imagine Deandre Jordan dunking on her? LOL

Reply #412243 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

@curtley,

With a WNBA player or with a WNBL player?

Reply #412244 | Report this post


Dunkin' Dan  
Years ago

"Mark Cuban mentions drafting Brittney Griner because 'hey everybody, let's look at Mark Cuban!’"
That's all it boils down to. It's ridiculous.

Reply #412245 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Surely it would be worth it just to see if she could handle Wildcats @ Perth Arena defense better than Flynn did?

/blatant_troll

Reply #412246 | Report this post


The Situation  
Years ago

I knew it. All anonymous posters here are girls!

Reply #412252 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Alright wee got a situation

Reply #412255 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

There is no way she could even handle the NBL. Imagine her wiry 90 kg frame against guys like matt knight, seth scott, foreman etc...she would get crushed and possibly even injured. Even I can see that.

Reply #412257 | Report this post


Ricey  
Years ago

I remember the Kings having something on news quite few years ago about a girl getting to train with them in hopes of making NBL.

End of the day, Cuban has put some publicity towards his team that isn't about them missing playoffs. Did he get what he wanted? Did people give him shit about it in media, yes, but guess what, he just got a bunch of free marketing and advertising, doubt he's complaining.

Reply #412265 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

If only Cambage offered more than just height

Reply #412280 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

Ricey, free marketing and advertising of what and to who? Who in Dallas wouldn't know the Mavericks? And would react in a "Better get along to a game!" way at the idea of their NBA team signing a chick out of college?

The WNBA draft comes before the NBA draft. It's such a ridiculous discussion.

Reply #412285 | Report this post


Curtley  
Years ago

I was talking about saying I'd consider it to drum up attention.

Reply #412289 | Report this post


TK  
Years ago

I hope she withdraws her name from the WNBA draft and holds out for the NBA draft. Your move cuban

Reply #412299 | Report this post


Max  
Years ago

I agree with Isaac. This is ludacrous , this is just Cuban grabbing air time for himself

Reply #412324 | Report this post


paul  
Years ago

Isaac, that comment is a bit like saying why should McDonalds advertise, everyone knows about them.

Reply #412327 | Report this post


Ricey  
Years ago

It's an international story, so yeah, and it crosses over to both sexes. What's not to say she can't enter both drafts, she doesn't have to sign her WNBA contract that night, plus what WNBA team wouldn't want her to get the training experience with an NBA team?

Reply #412330 | Report this post


Isaac  
Years ago

paul, there were at least two components to my comment. On top of that, McDonalds faces competition from other fast food providers that sell burgers too. When it was comes to NBA basketball in Dallas, the Mavs have it sewn up. They compete with other sports, but you'd hardly recommend a cheap tactic like "Let's see if a college girl could make our team." As if that would win over baseball or football fans. It's an embarrassing gimmick.

Reply #412332 | Report this post


SpeedwagonUncle  
Years ago

She would have to play PG in the NBA and would even struggle to play in the D league.

Reply #412336 | Report this post


JOaRiDrAN  
Years ago

She needs to for the money. Some hoops posters earn more than WNBA Players season wages minus endorsements.
Lauren Jackson only earns $100,000 per season. Why. Do you think she has played here so often?
I read somewhere the average WNBA wage is around $40,000. Some owners must be cleaning up, regularly getting 10,000 attendance in big market teams and only paying chicken feed.

Back to the topic, I'm sorry and its not being sexist but there will never be a female in the NBA. Look at the tennis, the girls of this era are stronger than ever, they deserve high pay because their games are just as entertaining as the men's. They don't play 5 sets, but the girls could hold their own with the men for four to five games max.

Women will never play men in Tennis, only game in the world would maybe be golf one day (apart from car racing).

No being sexist but like a girl posted above, what is DeAndre Jordan going to do when he sees a long haired reggie miller under the ring??.

Good night Nurse!

Reply #412448 | Report this post


Dunkin' Dan  
Years ago

"I read somewhere the average WNBA wage is around $40,000"
You read wrong. It's more like double that amount. WNBA salary cap is pretty close to the NBL's, the main difference being that in the WNBA 12/12 teams comply as opposed to our 7/8.

"Some owners must be cleaning up, regularly getting 10,000 attendance in big market teams and only paying chicken feed"
Only one team (LA) gets 10,000 in officially published "attendance" and the number is significantly lower if you look at reality and count actual people at games or tickets actually paid for. No owners are cleaning up. The majority are running at a loss. There's not much money in ticket revenue, and there's not much in sponsorship either.

"I'm sorry and its not being sexist but there will never be a female in the NBA"
That part is hard to disagree with. If we're talking front court players I agree with you 100%. If we're talking guards I agree with you 99.99%

Reply #412453 | Report this post


fstos  
Years ago

Not even good enough to be drafted at SEABL level.

Reply #412460 | Report this post


mikael  
Years ago

Dunkin Dan I'd hardly bother calling someone out for suggesting the average WNBA pay was 40k a year when its actually 70k.

Reply #412471 | Report this post


JOaRiDrAN  
Years ago

The WNBA has a $72,000,000 television deal I think they have more coin than the NBL.

Reply #412472 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Announced as that for the WNBA but really a part of the NBA deal.

Reply #412474 | Report this post


Dunkin' Dan  
Years ago

Mikael I wasn't "calling him out", just correcting some incorrect heresay. (Where'd you get "its actually 70k" from btw?)

Salary cap: $913,000
Roster: 11
Average: $83,000

I know $83k ain't exactly LeBron money, but I thought it was worth making the distinction from $40k.
(Add to that the merit bonuses, the team-provided housing, medical/dental, meal allowances, etc. and the package is worth a good amount more)

Reply #412476 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

In three or four years time no doubt she could compete in NBL

Reply #412557 | Report this post




You need to be a registered user to post from this location. Register here.



Close ads
Serio: Tourism photography and videography
Little Streaks - The fun and interactive good-habits app designed especially for kids.

Advertise on Hoops to a very focused, local and sports-keen audience. Email for rates and options.

Recent Posts



.


An Australian basketball forum covering NBL, WNBL, ABL, Juniors plus NBA, WNBA, NZ, Europe, etc | Forum time is: 12:35 am, Fri 29 Mar 2024 | Posts: 968,026 | Last 7 days: 754