NBA creates hotline for league, team employees to report improper conduct

The NBA wasted no time responding to the sexual harassment scandal that has hit the Mavericks, announcing it has created a hotline for league and team employees to report improper conduct.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver sent a memo to executives of each NBA team. The commissioner laid out the NBA's "commitment to providing employees with a safe and inclusive work environment."

The confidential hotline is expected to be in operation by next week. Silver's memo to NBA executives also reiterated the league's existing programs and policies to combat workplace abuse, including its "Respect in the Workplace Policy." Sports Illustrated published a story Wednesday detailing what it called a "corporate culture rife with misogyny and predatory sexual behavior" in the Mavericks' front office. The article also alleged that former Mavericks president and chief executive officer Terdema Ussery and other team officials engaged in various acts of inappropriate conduct toward women over many years. One employee labeled the front office a "real-life 'Animal House.'"

Female workers who complained about harassment said the team's players were never involved, and visits with the players provided a welcome relief from the front-office abuse. The Mavericks later released a statement acknowledging workplace misconduct violations. Team owner Mark Cuban told SI, "I’m embarrassed, to be honest with you, that it happened under my ownership, and it needs to be fixed. Period. End of story