Dirk Nowitzki Was 'Disgusted' By Sports Illustrated Investigation on Mavericks' Workplace
Dirk Nowitzki told Eddie Sefko of Sports Day that he was "disgusted" by the recent Sports Illustrated story detailing a history of sexual misconduct and harassment within the Mavericks organization.
"It's very disappointing," Nowitzki told Sefko. "It's heartbreaking. I'm glad it's all coming out. I was disgusted when I read the article, obviously, as everybody was. I was shocked ... that our franchise, my franchise, that stuff like that was going on."
In the SI story by Jon Wertheim and Jessica Luther, a pattern of highly inappropriate sexual conduct around the Mavericks' workplace was investigated, along with how the team reporter remained employed after pleading guilty to a domestic violence incident. Multiple women accused former CEO Terdema Ussery of inappropriate contact and verbal harassment while former team beat writer Earl K. Sneed was not allowed to travel with the team to Canada after pleading guilty to charges for violence against a woman and was accused of violence against another woman, both of whom were Mavericks employees, while he worked with the team.
After the story came out, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said "it was a horrible mistake" to keep Sneed after the domestic violence incidents and that he deserves the blame for making that decision.
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Dallas coach Rick Carlisle told Sefko he's "grateful we live in a place and time where people have the courage to speak up about things like this."
"I also have a 13-year-old daughter and I want her to know it's both brave and safe to speak out," Carlisle told Sefko.
Nowitzki has spent his entire 20-year career with the Mavericks after being drafted No. 9 in the 1998 draft and being traded to Dallas. Carlisle is in his 10th season as the team's head coach and Cuban has been the team owner since 2000.
