Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance skewered Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban after the NBA owner proudly stood up for his team's DEI policy in a Jan. 4 X post.
Cuban discussed diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy with author Ashley St. Clair, and sought to champion DEI policy as an important policy for businesses.
Cubans respond to St. Clair's criticism of DEI Shouted out“So does that mean DEI will hopefully become a goal that every company should have?”
St. Clair disagreed, adding that the “E” in DEI stands for “equity,” not “equality,” and that equity represents a serious problem under the 14th Amendment.
But Cuban tried to put a positive spin on it, replying: “Fairness is a core principle of business. You can set your people up for success. Recognize each other's differences and leverage your strengths wherever possible.”
“Do you not agree to this?” he asked.
Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks watches a game against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on December 10, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Cuban went on to try a different direction to excuse the implementation of DEI, arguing that it is a company's decision to implement a DEI policy or not, and that all excuses are based on ideals of freedom. .
“You know, running a company is tough. In the @ibm video, the company's CEO says he wants IBM's demographics to reflect the nation as a whole. Are you putting the company in the best position for success? Do you have a problem with that? It's exactly what I suggested and you said it was good,” Cuban wrote.
“Is there a problem with the CEO/Board of Directors being able to run the company how they choose? He said he wants to improve towards the 1 percent annual diversity standard. Is there a problem with that? ”
In response, Senator Vance made an astute observation.
“Do the Dallas Mavericks reflect the demographics of America as a whole?” Vance asked.
Do the Dallas Mavericks reflect the demographics of America as a whole? https://t.co/FT72W3kS9V
— JD Vance (@JDVance1) January 4, 2024
Cuban responded to Vance's comments, calling them “stupid.”
I was trying to make a stupid comment, and I succeeded.
First, as an organization as a whole, yes.
More importantly, when you understand the value of DEI, it's not about checklists or quotas, it's about understanding how you can be most competitive as a company.
— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) January 4, 2024
Cuban tried to deflect Vance's accurate insight by saying the Mavericks reflected America “as a whole.” But, of course, that's not what Vance meant. He was talking about the team on the floor. And if you look at that roster, of the 19 players listed as Mavericks players on ESPN's website, only two are white, and neither of them are American. Additionally, there appear to be no Hispanic players on the team.
What about that person who represents America?
Republican U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance takes the stage after winning the primary election during an election night event at the Duke Energy Convention Center on May 3, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
Cuban can brag about the diversity of his team's marketing staff all he wants. But no one buys tickets to see the marketing team. If Cuban really believed that DEI was not just about diversity in employment, but about putting companies in the best position to compete, as he said, then he He would have established a basketball team that reflected that.
But he didn't. Instead, he drafted, traded, and signed the best players possible, regardless of skin color. And if Mark Cuban is allowed to build his business that way, why shouldn't others be allowed to do the same?
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Hustonor truth social @WarnerToddHuston
