SACRAMENTO – Ten years passed like jail time for the Mavericks in the '90s. That's what 11-win seasons and annual trips to the draft lottery will do.
And then, 10 years can fly by like they have with Mark Cuban's ownership of the Mavericks. Success makes it fun, and the calendar clicks off like it's on fast-forward.
Cuban had the handshake with Ross Perot Jr. on Jan. 4, 2000. Three months later, the NBA approved the sale, but Cuban likes to think his stewardship of the franchise started when he and Perot reached an agreement for the sale. Cuban overpaid. He knew that all along. It was a $280 million sale, an NBA record at the time. And he has lost roughly $150 million in operating revenue during his ownership. It's completely worth it, of course. And not just because the team has probably appreciated enough to make up for all of his losses. "It's been a blast," Cuban said, "even with all the stuff with the league." And there has been "stuff," for sure. But it's virtually impossible to say that Cuban hasn't been a good owner. The main reason is because he cares. "There are some [owners that don't]," Jason Kidd said. "But Mark's about winning. "It's kind of funny how fast time goes by. ... He's a fan and he wants to win a championship. All he asks is that you go out there and play hard." Cuban has only gotten really peeved about owning the Mavericks on a few occasions. One of them came after the 2006 Finals, when they blew a 2-0 lead and lost the championship to Miami. "That's the closest I came to selling," he said. Through it all, Cuban has done it his way. He's thumbed his nose – and used other fingers – in the NBA's direction. He's championed causes that have helped change the league. "I'm either the worst thing that ever happened to the NBA or I epitomize the American dream and I'm every 40-year-old guy's fantasy – business fantasy, that is," Cuban said once when analyzing his ownership. Someday, he'll probably sell the Mavericks. He didn't get to be a billionaire by holding on to assets too long. But it would be a lot easier for him to make that leap emotionally if the Mavericks could secure a ring first. After all, he also didn't get to be a billionaire by bailing out of a business before seeing it to fruition. Mavs won't beat themselves up: The Mavericks have been an efficient team when it comes to winning close games this season, so when a nail-biter went bad on New Year's Eve, they could have second-guessed themselves. But they refused to do it. Kidd took the 3-point shot that could have sent the game to overtime against Houston. It rimmed out, and the Rockets won, 97-94. But Dirk Nowitzki, who tried to give Kidd the assist in a role-reversal moment, said he'd do it again. "I maybe could have shot it," Nowitzki said of the last gasp. "Either way, after the game you're always smarter. I thought it was the right basketball play, especially since I was shooting with no rhythm." The Mavericks are 9-4 in games that have been decided by five or fewer points or in overtime. Briefly: New Year's Day was for watching football – and Sacramento's game at the LA Lakers. The team did not practice but had a team dinner.
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