Mark Cuban, the bombastic billionaire owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, said in an interview Wednesday that he would lose his cool if he ever caught one of his daughters out reveling with spring breakers.
“Literally, if one of my kids went out there and were partying in spring break, I would walk up to her and bend her over my knee,” he told “The View,” stressing that he never spanked his children before. “I would pull down those pants and spank her right in front of all those springs breakers, because it’s criminal. You just can’t do it.”
The comment elicited laughter from one of the hosts, but the billionaire said it would be a drastic measure because the public health depends on it.
Spring breakers this year have become something of a symbol for inconsiderateness. One of the most viewed interviews involved a teen who told a reporter, “If I get corona, I get corona. At the end of the day, I’m not gonna let it stop me from partying.”
The teen—a high school graduate from Ohio—took to Instagram to apologize for the comments. He posted that he was not “aware of the severity” of his actions and comments and apologized for those he offended.
One of the key worries for health officials fighting COVID-19, which still has many unknowns, is exactly how it can be transmitted. Health officials have stressed social distancing and frequent hand washing. Another challenge with the disease is that it varies in severity, so someone infected my have minimal symptoms and yet be contagious.
Cuban has been a vocal NBA owner during the coronavirus outbreak. Right after the season was suspended, he said he was putting a program together for vendors who will be out of paychecks during the lockout. He later helped come up with an agreement to pay event staff for the six home games that were scheduled to take place.
Cuban has said he is in favor of eliminating overdraft fees so small businesses can pay their employees and said he was “all for the $1,200 checks” that the federal government may distribute. USA Today mentioned that social media users are asking Cuban to run for president in 2020.
“My father lived through the Depression as a child and fought in two wars and did back-breaking work six long days a week because he believed so strongly in our country,” he told the paper in an email. “Each of us as Americans has a similar story. Who we are today is built on the backs of all that came before us. They found a way to make it work and so will we. That is who we are. We are Americans.”