Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has been one of the most invested team owners in modern NBA history. After buying the franchise in 2000, Cuban adopted a hands-on approach to give the Dallas side a complete makeover. The $5,100,000,000 worth entrepreneur implemented key changes in work culture by fighting in the trenches with his players and staff members, which fostered a sense of community within the team. After last season’s disappointing outing, Cuban made sure to point out in a recent interview that he can still give his team’s players a run for their money, even going against a generational talent like Luka Doncic.
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Cuban bought the Mavericks for $285 million and took its valuation to a whopping $3.3 billion, as per recent estimates. The veteran entrepreneur discovered that the franchise lacked a season ticket-holder fanbase and started cold calling former season ticket-holders himself to motivate his employees. He deployed the same strategy in building a rapport with his players. As it turns out, Cuban took on his marquee players in 1v1 contests and beat them in their own game.
In fact, the billionaire once claimed that he beat the Mavs’ talismanic Center Dirk Nowitzki in a 1-on-1 contest, merely weeks after buying the team. “I used to play one-on-one with Dirk[Nowitzki]. I went by him and scored twice, and then he stopped me and one and move and dunked. I quit, so officially, I’m 1 and 0 against Dirk,” Cuban told Rachel Demita.
Mark Cuban thinks he can take on Luka Doncic 1-on-1
During a recent interaction with theScore, Mark Cuban addressed a rather unusual question. A reporter asked him whether he can score in a game of 11, one-on-one against his team’s centerpiece Luka Doncic. “Of course…11-3,” Cuban didn’t hesitate while answering.
The reporter seemed a bit surprised that the billionaire thought he could bag three points against a player with four first team All-NBA selections in his five years in the league. But Cuban was adamant. “Cause he’ll quit,” he added.
The last statement from the Mavs owner might indicate something deeper than a mere 1v1 contest. The Dallas side failed to make it to the play-in tournament last season even after acquiring Kyrie Irving during the February trade deadline. The predominant narrative on Luka Doncic and the Mavs over the years has been that the Slovenian superstar simply doesn’t have enough help to aid him in the playoffs.
Therefore, fans and pundits had high expectations from the four-time All-Star after Irving joined the side before the postseason earlier this year, especially since Doncic had led his team to the Western Conference Finals the previous year. However, the Dallas side fell apart toward the tail end of the season in remarkable fashion, even failing to make the playoffs.
Kyrie Irving has just signed a $126 million extension with Dallas this free agency. Now the onus is on Doncic to make a deep playoff run next season at the very least, with his NBA champion running mate. Otherwise, the narrative on him may shift very quickly.
Mark Cuban sees Luka as his team’s core asset
Mark Cuban has been raving about Luka Doncic ever since his NBA Draft in 2018. Doncic exceeded all expectations after recording MVP-caliber numbers his sophomore year in the league. The former Real Madrid player soon established himself as one of the league’s brightest talents.
Cuban never minced his words while highlighting how crucial Doncic is for his team. In fact, he once shockingly claimed that he will divorce his wife before trading Luka to another team.
Cuban has surely made a hefty investment in his superstar. Now we’ll have to see what dividends that investment pays.
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