DENVER — Count Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban among those taking issue with Warriors forward Draymond Green’s criticism of the term “owner” in sports.

“For him to try to turn it into something it’s not is wrong,” Cuban told ESPN. “He owes the NBA an apology. I think he does, because to try to create some connotation that owning equity in a company that you busted your ass for is the equivalent of ownership in terms of people, that's just wrong. That’s just wrong in every which way.

“People who read that message and misinterpret it — make it seem like we don’t do everything possible to help our players succeed and don’t care about their families and don’t care about their lives, like hopefully we do for all of our employees — that’s just wrong.”

Last week, as part of an Instagram post condemning remarks by Houston Texans CEO Bob McNair, Green wrote: “For starters, let’s stop using the word owner and maybe use the word Chairman. To be owned by someone just sets a bad precedent to start. It sets the wrong tone. It gives one the wrong mindset.”

Cuban was offended by the connotation Green was seemingly trying to attach to owners in professional sports.

“We own equity; we don't own people,” Cuban said. “And there's a big difference. This is a country where we have corporations, and you put up your money and buy equity. E-Q-U-I-T-Y. It translates into shares of stock. People who bust their ass and work hard and get a little bit lucky have enough money to buy enough shares of stock to buy a company.

“To try to turn it into something that it’s not is ridiculous. Draymond can trash-talk on the court, but when he comes into our world, it doesn’t fly. ... I guess it’s because he went to Michigan State and didn’t take any business classes, but you own equity. When you own a team, you own equity, shares of stock. That’s called ownership. Tell him if he wants to take classes at Indiana’s business school, I’ll even pay for his classes and we’ll help him learn that stuff.”