While Kevin Durant's decision to join the 73-win Golden State Warriors clearly frustrated many around the league - including commissioner Adam Silver - Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes that having a bad guy around may ultimately good for the NBA.
"They become the villain," Cuban told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "Just like when LeBron James went to Miami, I loved that there was a villain. They become the villain. I'm fine with that. Everybody's going to root for them to lose."
Even if having a villain doesn't draw more interest towards the league, Cuban appears completely fine with the move either way, as several ex-Warriors made their way to Dallas as a result of the signing.
"It sure helped," Cuban said regarding the impact Durant's decision had on the Mavericks' offseason.
And although Golden State may be considered the odds-on favorite to win the title, Cuban says there's no guarantee that the Warriors will win the 2017 championship, especially if they run into injury problems.
"It's always been tough for superteams to stay super," Cuban added. "When you congregate that much talent, one injury destroys the whole thing. They played by the rules, so it is what it is. It has always happened. It's nothing new."
