Mark Cuban bought the Dallas Mavericks for $285 million in 2000. He played a major role in building a team worthy of a championship. However, since Cuban gave away his chair to Patrick Dumont, things haven’t been great, especially after their franchise cornerstone, Luka Doncic, was traded last season. But that mega-event gave the 26-year-old star the cards to torment his former boss, as he recently admitted on a podcast appearance.

Recently, Doncic appeared on Cousins with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Vince has also been a part of the Mavericks organization and largely credits Cuban for that. He pointed out that the owner actively stayed involved in the games.

“Cube would always come in there and say, ‘Hey, we should run the live play right now for Rodrigue Beaubois on our team,'” Carter shared. “He’s like, ‘It’s going to be there.’ Have you ever experienced that?”

“I don’t think the play, but he was involved a lot, especially right next to the bench,” Doncic chipped in.

Meanwhile, McGrady, who played on rival teams, commended Cuban, stating that the players appreciated him and the fans loved him.

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“He built an amazing culture while he was there,” McGrady said. “I played those guys in the playoffs… I wanted him to have a miserable look.”

To this, Doncic immediately added, “Yeah, I’m trying that now.”

Doncic has succeeded in making Cuban and the Mavericks’ lives miserable. Since moving to LA, the Slovenian superstar has faced them four times, and guess what? He made his mark in every game. He’s a perfect 4-0 against them, averaging 33.0 points, 10.0 assists, and 9.0 rebounds.

Therefore, Cuban’s statement from 2025 now seems completely justified.

“Off the court, I love Luka to death, on the court, f— ’em,” Cuban said. “I don’t want him to get hurt or anything, but I hope they go 0-82. I love Luka to death. He’s a great guy. But, f— the Lakers.”

Doncic further opened up about his breakup with the Mavericks. As you can imagine, the 26-year-old always dreamt of ending his basketball career with the Dallas organization. But things turned out differently for the All-Star guard thanks to GM Nico Harrison’s master plan on defense winning championships.

Luka Doncic shares his pain one year after the Mavericks trade

Everyone remembers the scene at 2 am. Luka Doncic’s eyes were red because he was probably crying. He managed to flash an ‘LA’ hand sign. Visibly shaken, Doncic shook hands with Rob Pelinka.

When Doncic returned to Dallas for the first time, the Mavericks had a tribute video ready for the Jumbotron. The Slovenian’s new teammates stayed around him and embraced him as he sat on the bench, trying to hold back tears. He looked away from the screen four or five times.

Well, it does look like a piece of history now. Carter also experienced the heartbreak of leaving Dallas in 2014.

“What was that like for you? Carter asked Doncic. “Like, I know my first time it was just like, ‘Damn, I gotta, this uniform is not blue anymore.'”

“For me, it was terrible,” Doncic replied. “I mean, honestly, I thought I was going to be there my whole life. But obviously, things change. So it was hard. Like first, first month… It’s a lot to get in, but one year after I’m in a great place. I live by the beach.”

Luka Doncic is averaging 33.4 points (league-high), 7.9 rebounds, and 8.7 assists. He also has a three-year, $165 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. This simply means that the organization sees its future with him, and maybe this is how Doncic will continue to torment Mark Cuban.