Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur and investor, purchased the Dallas Mavericks in January 2000. The sale was approved by NBA owners on February 9th of that same year. Cuban paid $285 million for the team at a time when it was struggling to reach .500 during its 24-year tenure as an NBA franchise. Since then, he has poured countless resources into revamping the organization and transforming them into one of the league’s most successful teams. Under his ownership, they won their first championship in 2011 with Dirk Nowitzki leading them to victory over LeBron James' Miami Heat. In addition to winning a title, Cuban has also established himself as one of the top owners in sports – bringing energy and enthusiasm to every game while utilizing innovative strategies to help build a strong fan base around Mavs basketball. His commitment has been rewarded with seven playoff runs since 2001 and four 50-win seasons (including two 60+ win seasons). It's clear that Mark Cuban's purchase of the Mavericks is still paying off today!