In February, a ginger-haired young man named Ryan Naylor went on the reality show Shark Tank to pitch his business idea: a watch line that Naylor claimed looked great and improved health and balance using "negative ion technology." Neither of those claims was true. The watches are hideous, basically DayGlo rubber bands, and the whole idea that a watch -- or a wristband, or a pendant -- can miraculously improve well-being is a well-worn scam and proven bullshit.
Mark Cuban said as much on the show, refusing to so much as touch the Dallas Mavericks-blue watch Naylor offered. "I'm allergic to scams," he said.
The NBA was not so skeptical, teaming up with Power Balance to hawk officially licensed bracelets that use embedded holograms to positively interact with the body's energy field, thus improving performance. The company, which recently settled a class-action lawsuit and filed for bankruptcy, has since dropped such explicit claims, but both it and and the league are still selling the things.
This does not make Cuban happy. He posted a video to YouTube last week in which he tells us how he really feels about the Mavs-themed Power Bands in the team's locker room.
"See this stuff?" he asks the camera. "It was a scam when it was on Shark Tank. It's still a scam. I don't care if the NBA was dumb enough to sign an agreement. It's going where it belongs." He dumps the bracelets in the garbage can, adding "Have no fear. We do recycle."
