The Dallas Mavericks in the early 2000s were trying to finally establish themselves as a real threat in the NBA after many years of irrelevance. Mark Cuban inherited a franchise led by Dirk Nowitzki and tried making some big splashes to make his team a force.
This included signing Dennis Rodman in 2000, comfortably after his prime and when his interest in basketball was minimal. Rodman openly discussed his time in Dallas and why he joined the franchise.
“It wasn’t like that. It was like, ‘damn two years in a row, people don’t like me’. Mark Cuban got me out of Orange County and came with his G5, limousines, and trucks, he came down to Route Chris with all these people. He said, ‘I want to have dinner with you’. I said, ‘Great.'”
Rodman then revealed that Cuban asked him to be a Maverick and he said yes, even though he was content with never playing basketball again.
“He said, ‘I want you to be a Maverick’. I’m thinking like in a movie? I’m saying what? I said, ‘Oh, you mean like a Dallas Maverick?’ He said, I want you on the team and I said great. He came and got me and literally took me to Dallas the next day. I didn’t ask for him to do that sh*t. I was happy at the time just partying my ass off.”
Rodman’s tenure with the Mavericks’ was unquestionably poor. He came in and averaged a whopping 14.3 rebounds in 32 minutes per game, but the team was just not winning. They went 3-9 during his time as the Mavs ultimately missed out on the playoffs by four games.
Mark Cuban Was Influential In Rodman’s Short Stint In Dallas
For the limited time Rodman was in Dallas, Cuban ensured he made his stay comfortable and generated as much marketing attention as he could. Rodman revealed the story behind his infamous No. 69 jersey, something Cuban still hangs in his office.
“Mark Cuban went and announced on TV that we’re acquiring Dennis Rodman. They went ballistic. So he went and bought 21,000 jerseys with No. 69 on it because I wanted No. 69. People bought them. Next thing I know, I’m walking out of the tunnel with No. 69 and all the officials are like ‘uh uh. You ain’t doing that.’ They pushed me back in the tunnel. I think they’re thought I trying to screw them. That’s when Mark Cuban went back and got No. 70.”
Cuban also allegedly let Rodman stay in a guest house he owned and gave him $100K to stock it with furniture. The Mavs owner is known to be able to woo players over, with NBA legends like Kevin Garnett speaking admirably about him. Unfortunately, it has led to limited success in free agency, as the team’s mismanagement of their current roster has put Luka Doncic’s future in question.
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