NEW YORK – The following statement has been issued by Mike Bass, NBA Executive Vice President, Communications, regarding the Sports Illustrated story about the Dallas Mavericks organization:

“The Dallas Mavericks have informed us of the allegations involving former team president Terdema Ussery and Mavs.com writer Earl Sneed.  This alleged conduct runs counter to the steadfast commitment of the NBA and its teams to foster safe, respectful and welcoming workplaces for all employees.  Such behavior is completely unacceptable and we will closely monitor the independent investigation into this matter.”