Mark Cuban believes the NBA is heading in the right direction with their new television deal and the increased popularity of the sport but that more work can be done. 

“Generally speaking, I think we have some challenges,” Cuban said last week. “We don’t have NFL TV ratings, but we have a lot of room to improve. The fans love the game. The people participate. They play fantasy sports. They watch the games. Attendance is good.

“I think we’re in a good spot. People look up to NBA players and that’s always a good thing.”

Cuban also talked about how the NBA has the advantage of recognizable superstars.

“We’re unique among all the big four sports that our players are brands, they are recognizable because of fantasy sports and the love of the game,” he said. “Because of video games, they know the 15 guys on a lot of rosters. I think we’re in a great spot, but we have to continue to be humble. I think that’s going to be the key for us.

“We can’t think because we signed a big TV deal that everything is great. We’ve got to keep on grinding, keep on working hard and keep on trying to improve things because there’s a lot of room for improvement.”