Mark Cuban was so upset that his defending champion Dallas Mavericks were swept out of the playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder that he bought a majority ownership stake in the franchise.
It all started when Thunder chairman Clay Bennett went on Cuban’s show “Shark Tank” to sell a small upstart cupcake company. Little did he know, he’d leave the show with a minority share in his team.
Bennett, who heads the Professional Basketball Club, LLC, an ownership group that previously owned the Thunder, claimed Cuban used his quick wits, wealth, and co-hosts to “strong arm” him.
“He kept threatening to get [Daymond John] the Fubu guy to call his rapper friends to kick my ass,” said Bennett. “I had to do the deal. Mark’s obviously a good owner, and I get to keep a portion of the team, so I’m trying to convince myself I got a good deal. Although, the worst part of it all was they said my cupcakes tasted like crap.”
Cuban purchased 51 percent of the Thunder for $300 million, but said he plans to keep most of his focus on his beloved Mavs.
“They’re poised to win a ring this year, and I want another ring,” the outspoken billionaire admitted. “$300 million is a lot of money … to most people, but I can handle dropping it. It’s like I always say, ‘If you can’t beat ’em, buy ’em.’”
