Mark Cuban ends 20+ year run with Dallas Mavericks, selling majority stake.
Cuban’s 20-year Mavericks era ends with $7.1 billion sale.
Ever since buying the Mavs for $285 million back in 2000, Cuban’s outspoken personality and hands-on approach has defined the organization’s culture, for better or worse. His courtside antics, profanity-laced tirades at officials, and uncompromising expectations molded the team’s brash, in-your-face identity.
So why would the 65-year-old “Human Tornado” walk away from his beloved basketball baby after all these years of blood, sweat and (lots of) tears? Several factors appear to be at play.
For starters, the grind of overseeing an NBA team 24/7 is grueling, even for a dynamo like Cuban. With grandkids joining his family in recent years, he’s felt pulled in too many directions – something had to give. As Cuban himself admitted through tear-filled eyes, “It’s time to stop trying to be the world’s biggest maverick.”
There’s also the Luka factor. Word is the Mavs’ mercurial star Luka Doncic grew disillusioned with Cuban’s meddling and flashy antics, threatening his long-term future in Dallas. With new, billionaire ownership led by ex-NBA star Chris Webber promising more resources for player happiness, that could ease Luka’s mind.
But most importantly, while he struck it insanely rich with this deal, you get the sense that part of Cuban still has trouble letting go of the one singular passion that helped make him filthy rich in the first place – the Mavericks. In the end though, the decision was made to sell his baby to focus on his other baby – his ever-growing brood of grandchildren.
Simply put, Mark Cuban’s unparalleled love for his franchise made it that much harder to walk away, but he ultimately decided to put his family first and cash out while still in prime business shape. A bold move from a man who relished being boldly unconventional.
Transitional periods are never easy. But with a billionaire blueblood now set to infuse new money into Mavs operations, one thing is clear – the spirit of showmanship and boundary-pushing that defined Cuban’s wild tenure won’t be fading from Dallas any time soon. This is only the beginning of the next great chapter.