At this week’s All-In Summit, [Mark Cuban appeared on a debate with Tucker Carlson](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2unsXpoi97I), where the two discussed “how to save America”. In the early part of the show, before Carlson joined Cuban, the former Dallas Mavericks owner was asked to rehash what happened following his selling the team and why he didn’t retain any control by one of the hosts, Jason Calacanis.
Though he doesn’t use his name, Cuban is clearly saying Dallas Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison did not want him around. Cuban also confirms something speculated about for some time: during the Dallas run in the second half of the 2023-24 season all the way to the Finals, he more or less didn’t interject his opinion. As a result, Cuban lost whatever unofficial sway he may have had on decision-making as Harrison consolidated control.
And while it’s important to understand this clip is only a minute of an hour long discussion, the rest of which had nothing to do with basketball, I think we’ve arrived at the point where Cuban’s rehashing and slight re-editing of history every time he’s asked a variation of this question has run it’s course.
Mark Cuban is a willing talker and for that, I must give him credit in his willingness to be open. However, it’s starting to feel like he’ll speak to whomever has a microphone. There are elements of the Luka Doncic trade I will never let go, but ultimately it was Mark Cuban who hired Nico Harrison, it was Mark Cuban who sold the team to the Adelson family. His being friendly or being a minority owner is a nice to know, but it’s ultimately meaningless to how the Mavericks are run. Cuban said he “f-ed up” in his allowing his influence to wane, but that’s beyond the bigger point of by the time Dallas traded Luka Doncic, he hadn’t been an authority figure in the organization for over a season in a half.
We may never really escape this story, and as a Mavericks website we’re obligated to cover it. I knew about this interview within a few hours of it happening but waited to see if it would pop onto Mavericks social media. When it did, I felt obligated to write about it here. It’s maddening, because some of you know I’ll write about Nico any chance I get but he’s at least a meaningful member of the Mavericks organization now. Mark is not, but he still has his media megaphone.
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