Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban moves to allow HGH as injury rehab aid

The HGH is currently banned and is considered to be a performance enhancing drug.

Dallas Mavericks Owner and Shark Tank investor Mark Cuban is out to remove the ban on the use of the human growth hormone (HGH) after a study by the University of Michigan showed that it can help athletes recover from serious injuries.

The research, funded by Cuban himself, reportedly shows that HGH helps improve muscle strength and prevent atrophy during the recovery period after an ACL surgery.

HGH, like steroids, are considered performance-enhancing drugs and are currently banned for use by athletes, including NBA players. The policy was set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). It is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic committee to fight against drugs in sports.

According to Cuban, WADA banned HGH as a performance-enhancing drug without any real research. Hence, he started his own and published the results in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

According to Sporting News, the NBA conducts random blood tests for HGH as part of its collective bargaining agreement with the players association. NBA players who test positive for HGH are suspended for 25 games for the first offence, 55 games for a second, and expulsion from the league in the third.

Cuban believes that if HGH can be proven safe and help athletes recover from injuries faster, there's no point in banning it. The celebrity billionaire hopes that players from all leagues would support his move to remove the HGH ban from WADA if further studies show the benefits of HGH.

Cuban is a known philanthropist and has owned the Mavericks since January 2000. He immediately made moves to revitalise the team, including signing international players such as Dirk Nowitzki and Chinese superstar Wang Zhizhi. The rebuild continued and they eventually won their first-ever championship in 2011. He is one of the first team owners to declare that salaries of arena workers will continue to be paid after the NBA games were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

He is also one of the highest-profile team owners of the NBA, and a known hands-on boss. He developed and recruited some players himself, including Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, and the legendary Dennis Rodman. Cuban still has Rodman's banned number 69 jersey. The league has fined Mark Cuban thousands of dollars over the years for his colourful language during NBA games.