On Jan. 4, 2000, Cuban officially …

On Jan. 4, 2000, Cuban officially completed the transaction to acquire the Mavericks from Ross Perot Jr. Even now, Cuban admits that his young ways – while well-intended – needed polish. It wasn’t the first time he’d jumped into a business venture without really knowing what he was getting into. “I didn’t really know anything about basketball,” Cuban said on a recent Mavericks’ road trip about his strategy once he got the team. “And I didn’t really have any connections. I’ve always just figured it out as I went. Why would this be any different? What I don’t know, I try to teach myself.”