Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban called on major professional sports leagues to be more proactive in identifying serious character issues during the scouting process and require prospects with red flags to undergo counseling before beginning their pro careers.

In a wide-ranging interview with Rolling Stone, Cuban was asked why NFL players seemed to get into more legal trouble than NBA players. He responded that it's because there are more NFL players, before he continued to elaborate on the topic.

"We as leagues ignore those issues when we sign and draft players. That has to change," Mark Cuban told Rolling Stone when talking about red flags in athletes. Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

"I think there are two more important factors: I think it's difficult to be a warrior on the field and a pussycat off of it, but more importantly, I think that all pro sports turn a blind eye to minor leaguers and collegiate athletes with checkered backgrounds," Cuban told the magazine.

"You don't go from the minors or college to the pros and all of a sudden become a spouse abuser, or any of a number of other serious personal issues. Those traits don't suddenly appear when you make a pro roster. They were there in college. They were probably there prior to college. Yet we as leagues ignore those issues when we sign and draft players. That has to change. We need to participate in programs that publicly identify those athletes that have issues, and not allow them to play unless they go through rigorous counseling.

"We need to demand that colleges and minor leagues and high schools and summer travel programs identify and report issues. By not reporting abuse or other issues with their players, they could be costing them a shot at the pros. It's our fault for not being more proactive. It's college's fault for not red-flagging these kids and getting them help."

Cuban has attempted to take a proactive approach with players on the Mavs' roster. The Mavs have a full-time sports psychologist, Don Kalkstein, who meets with each player on the roster. Kalkstein also serves as a consultant for the Texas Rangers.

"While he won't divulge specifics, we do discuss whether or not there are red flags regarding a player's personal, professional or social life," Cuban told Rolling Stone. "We've had a functioning alcoholic on the team in the past and we put together plans and programs to help him. We've had other issues when we have asked the player to leave the team.

"We try very hard to be aware of what is going on in a player's life because like all of us, it impacts our professional life and we want what is best for the person and their family. We try to build a team that has zero knuckleheads. If there is a player who is immature and not able to follow team rules, we might sign them, but the rule is no more than one knucklehead on the team."