Mark Cuban wasn’t shy about showing his loyalty to Luka Doncic when #77 was the face of the Dallas Mavericks, but that loyalty didn’t matter after the billionaire sold his majority stake in the franchise. Like most Mavs fans, Cuban was distraught over Nico Harrison’s decision to trade the Slovenian sensation, but he no longer had a say.
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Cuban didn’t originally believe he’d be ceding all control when he sold 73% of the franchise to Miriam Adelson for $3.5 billion in late 2023. The 66-year-old recently shared that he thought he’d still have control over basketball operations, but that responsibility was instead given to Adelson’s son-in-law, Patrick Dumont.
With little say in the franchise’s decision-making, there wasn’t much Cuban could do to stop Dallas’ ill-advised deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. So it’s not too surprising that the businessman fired back at a former Mavs employee who claimed he “should be run out of Dallas” over the team’s current state.
“Hey [Gavin Mulloy], how much of a bonus did you get when I sold [the team]?” Cuban questioned the disgruntled poster.
“Not enough to make up for the Luka trade. I’d give your dirty $$ back for Luka to be here, how about you?” Mulloy responded.
Knowing he was innocent in this situation, Cuban didn’t hold back at this point in their interaction. The television personality reminded the employee how much he did for not only the fans but also his employees during his time as owner.
“You didn’t say a word when [the money] showed up in your account. Did you? Sure looked good when we made it to the Finals, didn’t it?” Cuban lashed out. “I did every damn thing I could for 23 years. Kept prices lower than not only any NBA team but lower than college teams too.”
A former Mavs employee posted on Facebook that Mark Cuban “should be run out of Dallas.”
Cuban did not hold back in the comments. pic.twitter.com/9BrYDO1SMw
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 29, 2025
Cuban informed Mulloy that his investment in the Mavericks wasn’t even a profitable one for the majority of his ownership. He shared that he only profited in two of his 23 years with the team because he prioritized the fan experience and employee satisfaction.
But now that things have gone south, Cuban gets the blame.
“So my dirty dollars didn’t get a peep out of you those 23 years. Or when you got your check every two weeks. Or when you got your bonus,” Cuban continued. He showed confidence in his response, knowing he served his employees right while the team was under his control.
Cuban stressed that interactions with overbearing fans are why he decided to sell the franchise in the first place. He didn’t want his children or family to deal with fans he described as “pr**ks” and thanked Mulloy for confirming he made the right decision. After this unforeseen interaction, it’s understandable why Cuban wanted to exit the NBA limelight.
