Billionaire Mark Cuban’s offer to buy drinks hilariously got turned down by Mavericks legend
Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban recalls story of a former legend who hilariously turned down his offer to buy drinks.
Follow Us
Mark Cuban sold the NBA franchise the Dallas Mavericks for $3.5 billion
Mark Cuban changed the course of Dallas Mavericks history upon buying the team in the 1999-2000 season. However, even though the former Mavericks majority owner purchased the team, it seems like he still couldn’t get the opportunity to buy a drink for his greatest player. In a fresh interview on Amazon Prime’s new series ‘Game 7,’ Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki hilariously retold the story of his first encounter with Cuban.
Nowitzki recalled a story from his second season in the league, which saw the German legend meet Cuban for the first time. Dirk was out at the club with some friends and teammates when he was approached by a man, offering to buy them drinks.
Although Nowitzki rejected the offer, only days later, he found out that the gracious offer had come from soon-to-be Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.
I was in a nightclub a guy came up to us, and I remember, he was a a season ticket holder. He was sitting pretty close to the bench and he was pretty wild and animated during games. He came over to us and he’s like ‘can I buy you guys a beer’ and I’m like uh no thanks. Fast forward like a week or two weeks, later that guy just bought the Mavs.
Dirk Nowitzki recounted in the interview
How Dirk Nowitzki and Mark Cuban met ??
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 22, 2024
“Game 7” on Amazon Prime. Watch now! pic.twitter.com/NvYeWp3nvn
Cuban ran into Mavs stars Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki at the old Stark Club in the West End part of downtown Dallas. Cuban recalled dressing like a freakshow and offering to buy the international superstar duo beers. Both Nowitzki and Nash, of course, declined his offer, only to see him near their bench soon after as a season ticket holder. Not long after, Mark Cuban would make the move to purchase the Dallas Mavericks.
The night before I announced I bought the team, he and Nash were there and I went up and tried to buy him a beer, and I was dressed like a freak show. I was walking around with a bottle of champagne, and I was like, ‘Can I buy you a beer, I think I’m going to be seeing you tomorrow.’
Mark Cuban recalled
How did Mark Cuban become the Mavericks’ owner?
The Dallas Mavericks were owned by American Businessman Ross Perot during the 90s. Following a string of unsuccessful seasons, the team finally rose to prominence after a breakout start in the 1999-00 season. During this time, the Mavericks used to play at the Reunion Arena in Dallas. However, Cuban would see the rising potential in a team spearheaded by international stars Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash.
After being a season ticket holder for the team, Mark Cuban made the move to purchase the team in the 1999-00 season for $285 Million. Upon purchasing the team, Cuban’s first move was to address the low attendance and performance issues of the team. The billionaire would shift the team to the larger American Airlines Arena in the 2001-02 season, marking the beginning of a new era for the team.
Nowitzki and the Mavericks would go on to become one of the most successful teams of the 2000s under the ownership of Mark Cuban. They would eventually go on to win the 2011 NBA Championship, the first in franchise history, with Nowitzki winning Finals MVP.
Stay Updated!
Armaan Gupta
(324 Articles Published)