Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is widely known to be one of the most involved team owners when it comes to his relationship with his Mavs players. So much so, that he is even able to joke around with them during practice.
ESPN's Tim MacMahon recently caught Cuban kidding around with star Luka Doncic, challenging the 20-year-old to a game of one-on-one:
Mark Cuban to Luka Doncic: “C’mon, let’s play 1-on-1. I’ll kick your ass.” pic.twitter.com/VauhpILtj2
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 19, 2019
Of course, Doncic is hurting right now due to an ankle injury, so Cuban was trying to get him while he's down. The Mavs phenom isn't doing anything at full speed right now, though even an injured Doncic could probably take it to Cuban if he really wanted to take up the challenge.
Kidding aside, however, Cuban's relationships with his players is definitely one of the strengths of the Mavs organization. The billionaire owner sees to it that he gets involved in his players' lives, making them feel as if they are all one big family.
This type of people-centric approach appears to be working well for Cuban and the Mavs, with the team able to build a strong sense of loyalty among its players. We only need to take a look at the legendary Dirk Nowitzki and his decorated 21-season career in Dallas as proof that the bond between players and the organization is definitely strong within the Dallas Mavericks.