Mark Cuban’s act is a ray of sunshine on these otherwise cloudy days.
The pandemic, forest fires, and racial unrest affect us in many ways. It’s as though we live under a sky of endless gray. The situation is depressing and, at times, it almost seems “doom and gloom.”
So every bit of good news improves one’s mood and our outlook, and today’s paper brought both.
For perspective, please know that I have no idea what it’s like to be a pro athlete–to earn a rich salary, have fame, and receive adulation from fans, and so much more. But I know how much attention is given to sports these days–from youth sports to the pros. And we read many stories about the rise and fall of gifted athletes who, like shining stars, whiz across the sky and, then, vanish from sight.
Today, I read another story like that … but it had a different ending. Mark Cuban, the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, heard about an ex-NBA star who is homeless. Cuban arranged to meet him with that former player at a gas station in Dallas. He didn’t send someone in his place; he drove there himself.
Cuban got involved, helping to rescue a life that has been shattered because of bipolar disease. Homeless. Standing on the street with a cardboard sign. Without a relationship with family. Embarrassed by his fall. Cuban heard of his trouble and responded in a time of need.
It’s not the first time Cuban has reached out in a time of need. Earlier this year, Cuban told his office staff that he’d continue paying their salaries when COVID-19 shut down the NBA season.
What Mark Cuban did then, and what he’s doing now, is work done “for one of the least.” Righteous, indeed, it is a ray of sunshine on these otherwise cloudy days.
