Expect less skin, more wholesome routines from Dallas Mavericks Dancers this season
The Dallas Mavericks continue to clean up after the sexual harassment scandal that shook the organization this past February.
Cynthia Marshall, the team’s CEO, told The Dallas Morning News on Tuesday that the uniforms for the franchise’s dance team will not be as revealing as in years past. In addition, the Mavericks Dancers will perform less provocative dance routines.
“We want the focus to be on the dancers as artists and to highlight their skills, not be eye candy or sexualized,” Marshall said in the interview.
She also added that the move is one aspect of the franchise’s 100-day plan to better workplace conditions.
The San Antonio Spurs decided in May that their Silver Dancers and Team Energy squads would not return to the court for this coming season. Although, the organization did not provide an explanation for the move.
Owner Mark Cuban hired Marshall, a former AT&T executive, days after Sports Illustrated published a large expose in February detailing a culture of sexual misconduct within the franchise’s business office.
The story stated that former Mavericks team President Terdema Ussery acted in an inappropriate manner on many occasions. In addition, Earl Sneed, the team’s in-house beat writer, was allowed to remain on staff despite multiple allegations of domestic violence.
When the story broke, Cuban called the details “wrong” and “abhorrent.” He also said that he was not aware of the behavior or reported incidents.
Marshall has been charged with moving the organization through an internal investigation that will pursue any and all previous and current claims by employees.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the league office have been monitoring that investigation for the past several months. In mid-April, Silver praised how Cuban’s organization was handling that process.
This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Expect less skin, more wholesome routines from Dallas Mavericks Dancers this season."