Mark Cuban, 66, Reveals Truth About Buying Mavericks Without Hesitation
Before Mark Cuban sold his majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks in 2023, he ran the franchise for 24 years after buying it in 1999.
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Cuban spent $285 million to purchase a majority stake in the team from then-owner Ross Perot Jr. After he took over, the billionaire established himself as one of the most passionate and active owners in the league.
Under Cuban's ownership, the Mavericks reached the NBA Finals twice and won it all in 2011, when Dirk Nowitzki and company took down LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
In several interviews in the past, Cuban has consistently said that he bought the Mavericks because he saw an opportunity to improve the team's management and on-court performance.
The 66-year-old businessman doubled down on that claim, all while also giving a blunt response on how he was able to buy the team in an appearance on the "High Performance" podcast.
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Host Jake Humphrey asked Cuban about his "secret to setting that target and then making it happen."
"I got rich," Cuban said before laughing. It's worth noting that in 1999, Cuban sold his company, Broadcast.com, to Yahoo for $5.7 billion.
Former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban speaks out on his purchase of the team in 1999.Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The former "Shark Tank" star proceeded to say that he wanted to get the Mavericks after he saw that there was "no energy in the arena" when he attended the first game of the season, noting that he thought he "could do better than this." Months later, Cuban was the owner of the Mavericks.
For what it's worth, Mark Cuban did say in a 2024 conversation with Draymond Green that "it was all about fun" when he took over the Mavericks and that he "didn't even negotiate," per CNBC.
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Cuban was rich and had the money to buy the team he loved, so it was an easy decision for him.
Related: 'You're Not a Good Loser': Cooper Flagg's Mom Gets Real About Mavericks Rookie
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
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