Dallas Mavericks

Mark Cuban is bidding farewell to "Shark Tank" after 16 seasons ... and he's already circling the waters for his ideal successor.

The billionaire businessman tells TMZ that Emma Grede -- the co-founder of the Kardashians' fashion empires SKIMS and Good American - would be "insanely good" as a full-time Shark ... having guest-starred on the show before.

Mark heralds the 41-year-old as a brilliant entrepreneur ... with an extraordinary knack for helping companies grow with her experience.

What's more ... he's impressed with her natural ability to connect with others ... and says her television charisma also makes waves -- though, as of yet, auditions to find his replacement haven't begun.

Mark also gives us a splash of context on departing 'ST' -- which he first announced on the Showtime podcast "All The Smoke" Monday ... telling us his decision is rooted in wanting to hang out with his brood as he usually films every summer during family vacation.

He says at 14, 17, and 20, it's not long before they leave the nest ... so it's understandable he's cutting back.

As we previously reported ... Mark's also selling his majority stake in the NBA's Dallas Mavericks after buying the team in 2000 and overseeing the franchise's most successful run and only NBA title ... so the 'Tank' isn't the only thing Cuban's leaving behind.

Despite "Shark Tank" nibbling away at his personal time, he's cherished every aspect of the show ... from what it represents to the impact it's had on the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Mark Cuban se despide de "Shark Tank" después de 16 temporadas y ya está pensando en quién podría ser su sucesor ideal.

El empresario multimillonario y dueño de los Mavs, le dice a TMZ que Emma Grede— la co-fundadora de los imperios de moda de las Kardashians SKIMS y Good American— sería "increíblemente buena" como un tiburón a tiempo completo después de haber sido estrella invitada en el programa antes.

Mark dice que Emma (de 41 años de edad) es una empresaria brillante, con un extraordinario don para ayudar a las empresas a crecer con su experiencia.

Es más, está impresionado con su capacidad natural para conectar con los demás y dice que su carisma televisivo también hace olas. Aunque, hasta el momento, las audiciones para encontrar su reemplazo no han comenzado.

Mark también nos da un poco de contexto sobre la salida del show —que anunció por primera vez en el podcast de Showtime "All The Smoke" el lunes— diciéndonos que su decisión se basa en querer pasar el rato con su familia, ya que suele filmar todos los veranos durante las vacaciones.

Dice que sus hijos de 14, 17 y 20 años no tardarán en abandonar el nido, así que es comprensible que reduzca gastos.

Como informamos anteriormente ... Mark también está vendiendo su participación mayoritaria en los Dallas Mavericks de la NBA después de comprar el equipo en 2000 y supervisar la carrera más exitosa de la franquicia y el único título de la NBA, por lo que el "Tanque" no es lo único que Cuban está dejando atrás".

Big news out of Big D ... Mark Cuban is selling his majority stake in the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, while still holding onto the reigns in basketball operations.

The billionaire is selling his majority stake to Miriam Adelson ... TMZ Sports has confirmed.

While Mark is selling a stake reportedly valued at $3.5 billion, he will retain some shares in the team and be the lead decision-maker when it comes to basketball ops.

Cuban bought the team in 2000 for $285 million, so he’s getting a huge return on investment!

Miriam is the billionaire widow and heiress of Sheldon Adelson and his Las Vegas casino empire ... Forbes has her net worth at $32.3 billion, making her the fifth richest woman in the world.

Our sources say Adelson has plans to build a new arena for the Mavs, and, if a gambling bill passes in Texas, we’re told she might also build a casino in Dallas.

Miriam is reportedly selling $2 billion of her shares in Las Vegas Sands Group to make the Mavs purchase.

Under Cuban, the Mavericks have been perennial contenders in the NBA's Western Conference, winning the franchise's first and only NBA championship in 2011, defeating LeBron James and the Miami Heat.

Earlier this week, Cuban revealed he's leaving ABC's "Shark Tank" after the upcoming 16th season.

Lots going on in Mark’s world … including cohosting “TMZ’s Merry Elfin’ Christmas” special, premiering Dec. 5 in primetime on Fox!

Grandes noticias de Big D... Mark Cuban está vendiendo su participación mayoritaria en los Dallas Mavericks de la NBA, aunque todavía se aferra a las operaciones de baloncesto.

El multimillonario está vendiendo su participación mayoritaria a Miriam Adelson, según ha confirmado TMZ Sports.

Aunque Mark está vendiendo su participación supuestamente valorada en $3,5 mil millones, conservará algunas acciones en el equipo y será el principal responsable de la toma de decisiones cuando se trate de las operaciones relacionadas al baloncesto.

Cuban compró el equipo en 2000 por 285 millones de dólares, ¡así que está obteniendo grandes ganancias de su inversión!

Miriam es la multimillonaria viuda de Sheldon Adelson y heredera de su imperio de casinos en Las Vegas. Según Forbes, su patrimonio neto asciende a 32.300 millones de dólares, lo que la convierte en la quinta mujer más rica del mundo.

Según nuestras fuentes, Adelson planea construir un nuevo estadio para los Mavs y, si se aprueba una ley sobre el juego en Texas, también podría construir un casino en Dallas.

Al parecer, Miriam está vendiendo 2.000 millones de dólares de sus acciones en Las Vegas Sands Group para realizar la compra de los Mavs.

Bajo Cuban, los Mavericks han sido contendientes perennes en la Conferencia Oeste de la NBA, ganando el primer y único campeonato de la NBA de la franquicia en 2011, derrotando a LeBron James y los Miami Heat.

A principios de esta semana, Cuban reveló que dejará "Shark Tank" de ABC después de la próxima temporada 16.

Luka Doncic can apparently sink baskets with his hands AND his head ... 'cause check out this trick shot he made Monday night -- he used his noggin and got nothing but net!!

The Dallas superstar and his teammate, Dwight Powell, were messin' around before the Mavs took on the Grizzlies at the FedEx Forum in Memphis ... when they decided to put on a little show for the fans in attendance.

First, Powell threw a basketball off Doncic's shoulder ... and then he headed it back to Doncic so the point guard could finish off the Globetrotters-esque play with a header of his own.

And, after the ball crashed through the hoop ... the crowd roared, and Doncic celebrated for several moments as if he had just hit a game-winner!

Doncic then tagged Real Madrid -- the football club affiliated with his former basketball team -- clearly wanting them to take a look at his soccer skills.

Of course, this isn't anything too new for Powell and Doncic ... the guys have hit similar shots in the past, including one time last year when Powell threw down a dunk courtesy of a pass off Doncic's dome.

2:10 PM PT -- Travis Kelce got wind of Mark Cuban's plea to Taylor Swift ... and fired back at the Mavs owner with a playful post on X.

"Just sign me to a ten day [contract!] 😎"

Mark Cuban has seen what Taylor Swift's relationship with Travis Kelce has done for the NFL, and he's hoping her influence can transition over to the NBA ... telling TMZ Sports he wants to hook her up with a Mavericks player!!

T. Swift's appearance at the Chiefs game on Sunday had a massive positive impact on Kansas City and the league as a whole ... resulting in massive television ratings and Kelce jersey sales.

The billionaire businessman and Mavs owner is now giving his two cents on the Swift/Kelce sitch ... and he tells us he's not only witnessing a budding romance -- he's also seeing dollar signs.

"Taylor Swift impacts the economy," the Shark Tank star said out in NYC on Thursday. "She adds value everywhere she goes."

"Literally every city she brings her tours to, you can see the economy get a bump out of it. The NFL's gotta be loving this."

Cuban sends a personal message to Swift ... saying he'd love to introduce her to a hooper so the Association can get in on the big biz, too -- that is if things with the Chiefs tight end fall flat.

"The Mavs -- we got a lot of really good-looking, young single guys. Come on!"

Mark Cuban ha visto lo que la relación de Taylor Swift con Travis Kelce ha hecho por la NFL y espera que su influencia pueda pasar a la NBA, diciéndole a TMZ Sports que quiere que salga con un jugador de los Mavericks.

La aparición de Swift en el juego de los Chiefs el domingo tuvo un impacto positivo masivo en Kansas City y la liga en su conjunto, lo que se vio reflejado en ratings masivos de televisión y ventas de camisetas de Kelce.

El multimillonario hombre de negocios y propietario de los Mavs ahora está apostando por este modelo de negocios y nos dice que no solo es testigo de un romance en ciernes, sino que también puede ver signos de dólar.

"Taylor Swift tiene un impacto en la economía", dijo la estrella de Shark Tank en Nueva York el jueves. "Ella añade valor donde quiera que vaya".

"Literalmente, en cada ciudad a la que lleva sus giras, puedes ver cómo la economía recibe un empujón gracias a ello. A la NFL le tiene que encantar".

Cuban le envía un mensaje personal a Swift, que básicamente dice que le encantaría presentarla a un jugador para que la Asociación pueda entrar en el gran negocio.

"Los Mavs... tenemos un montón de chicos solteros muy guapos y jóvenes. ¡Vamos!"

Luka Dončić didn't get a ring this year ... but his girlfriend did -- 'cause the Dallas Mavericks star just proposed to Anamaria Goltes in Slovenia -- and she said YES!!!

The NBA point guard and his new fiancee revealed their engagement in social media posts on Friday ... showing the basketball player got down on one knee at Lake Bled.

"💍❤️ 7.7," Doncic captioned the pic.

LeBron James was one of many who were stoked for the hooper ... writing in the comment section on Luka's Instagram post, "Congrats brother!!!!"

Dončić and Glotes have known each other since they were kids ... and, eventually, they began to date in their teenage years.

While the two were off and on for a bit, they ultimately became super serious as Dončić began establishing himself as one of the best players in the NBA.

Since then, she's been seen by his side often ... and she's even been spotted helping out at his charity events in Slovenia while he was back in the States playing basketball.

Now, they'll get to spend forever together ... something the two couldn't seem more pleased about.

Kyrie Irving sneakers could return to a store near you soon ... 'cause the NBA superstar just teased a new deal is on the horizon after his fallout with Nike.

The 8-time All-Star revealed it might not be long before fans can get their hands on some new Kyrie kicks ... discussing the matter during an Instagram Live session on Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm really excited," the 31-year-old said. "I will be signing my new shoe deal very, very soon. I'm 'bout to blow this stuff out the water. I'm so excited about it."

Is it SIA Collective? Musiq Soulchild did tell us he heard Kyrie was talking to the new shoe company last December ... but Irving mentioned no names during the stream.

Uncle Drew was with Nike dating back to 2011, but the Swoosh cut ties with the hoop star after his controversial tweet sharing an antisemitic film in 2022.

The point guard -- who last played for the Dallas Mavericks -- also said to be on the lookout for his free agency decision ... and urged fans not to listen to analysts, TV personalities, or sports influencers who claim they know his next move.

"I'm a free agent this summer, but I am in no rush to make a decision," Irving said.

"When they speak on my name and they're talking about potential teams that I'm going to, can y'all please, respectfully, I'm asking, please stop paying attention to that."

Of course, many speculate Irving could join his old teammate LeBron James in Los Angeles, especially after the guard was spotted sitting courtside at a recent Lakers playoff game.

Despite the rumors, Irving swore up and down no one knows what he's going to do -- just him.

Incredible gesture from Luka Doncic ... the NBA superstar is paying for the funerals of the victims who were killed this week in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Serbia, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

The tragic incident happened Wednesday morning ... when officials say a 13-year-old student opened fire inside Vladislav Ribnikar primary school, killing eight children and a security guard.

Six other children and one teacher were also injured. The alleged shooter was arrested.

Doncic -- whose father is from Serbia and still has family in the area -- was so moved by the tragedy, a rep for the basketball player told us on Thursday he's covering the funeral costs for the victims as well as providing grief counseling for classmates and school staffers.

"I am heartbroken by the tragic school shooting in Serbia and the loss of lives, including those of innocent school children," Doncic said in a statement. "My thoughts are with the families and the entire community affected by this tragedy."

The Dallas Mavericks season may be over, but the team's still making headlines -- the NBA fined the organization $750K for resting several key players like Kyrie Irving vs. the Bulls in the second-to-last game of the season, with the league accusing the team of losing on purpose.

The league announced the hefty punishment Friday ... explaining the Mavs violated the league's player resting policy on April 7 in the game with Chicago to improve their chances of keeping their first-round draft pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

NBA executive VP Joe Dumars condemned Dallas for the move ... saying the team's actions "undermined the integrity of the sport," adding their actions "failed our fans and our league."

The Mavs were tied with the Bulls for the tenth-best lottery odds heading into the matchup ... and would have owed the Knicks their first-round pick if they beat Chicago, going back to terms agreed on during the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

The NBA launched an investigation after Dallas rested several key players -- Kyrie Irving, Christian Wood, and Tim Hardaway Jr. -- even with the team's play-in tournament hopes still alive. Luka Doncic played the first 12 minutes and 35 seconds but missed the rest of the game.

Dallas head coach Jason Kidd seemed to confirm the idea of resting their players in the crucial game came from upper management ... but said he agrees with his bosses' decision.

The short-handed Mavericks took Chicago down to the wire ... but ultimately lost their final two games, finishing the regular season with a disappointing 38-44 record after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season.

Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks are under investigation by the NBA for apparently tanking in one of their final games of the season ... which means they're out of the playoffs.

The announcement came down Saturday from NBA spokesperson Mike Bass, who said .. "The NBA commenced an investigation today into the facts and circumstances surrounding the Dallas Mavericks’ roster decisions and game conduct with respect to last night’s Chicago Bulls-Mavericks game, including the motivations behind those actions."

The reason Adam Silver and Co. are digging into this is because of what seemed to be an obvious move by upper management and the coaching staff to not play their best guys.

Before Friday's matchup against the Bulls, HC Jason Kidd surprisingly announced a number of the best Mavs players were out due to injuries ... including Kyrie Irving. Luka Doncic only played for a quarter and change -- the rest of the game was carried by bench players.

But even with their backup dudes, the Mavs still had a chance to close the game out and secure a spot in the play-in tournament -- which could see them move on further into the playoffs. However, the Mavs somehow blew an 11-point lead in the 4th ... and it appeared they weren't playing their best basketball -- at least that's the consensus on Twitter, anyway.

Adding insult to injury was Cuban's reaction to his team missing the game-tying shot in the final seconds of the game -- which officially ended their chances at getting into the play-in -- and he seemed to be smirking ... further fueling speculation they were tanking on purpose.

Of course, Kidd himself didn't do a great job of masking anything either -- pregame or postgame -- because he essentially said ... yeah, we sat a lot of guys and it was upper management's decision in the hopes of building a better roster for next season. Yikes ...

Luka Doncic says he hasn't been happy on the court like he used to be -- and while he's publicly citing personal problems ... Twitter seems to be blaming Kyrie Irving.

The Dallas Mavericks PG talked to the press Friday night after the team's loss to the Charlotte Hornets -- which actually spurred boos from the home crowd ... amounting to a somewhat ugly scene in American Airlines Center. HC Jason Kidd said it was deserved.

There's a lot of criticism about the Mavs' lack of effort in this game ... especially from their two big stars -- Luka and Kyrie -- who haven't been gelling that well since KI came on.

When asked if this is as frustrated as he's been, Luka answered candidly ... saying yes, and then going on to explain that he feels like his attitude toward the game has changed of late -- namely, he's simply not as excited to play and has effectively lost his love of basketball.

Reporters asked him to elaborate -- as that sounds like a clear reference to Kyrie, as he appears to be the one big change in the Mavs organization lately -- and Luka pivoted.

He said he was dealing with stuff off the court, and suggested that's what's causing the issues in his game. The Internet, however, wasn't buying that ... and jumped to the conclusion Luka was, in fact, expressing thinly-veiled frustration about his new teammate.

Kyrie also spoke to the media and was defiant when asked about the fans booing ... saying they're more than welcome to come on down and play if they think they're up for it.

Eventually, he talked about the transition to the Mavs and how bumpy it's been -- the team is currently out of playoff contention -- and he also said it's been rough getting adjusted.

KI was quoted as saying ... "[W]e're still feeling each other out in a way of getting used to each other's efforts and attitudes and temperament. And that's a real thing. That's a human thing. That's a human element. Whether people believe it in basketball or not, there's a very fine line between winning basketball games and everyone being on the same page and losing basketball games and things splintering and pointing fingers."

How ironic is this -- Luka Doncic just got hit with a $35k fine on Friday ... after the NBA superstar made a money gesture toward a referee during the controversial ending of the Warriors vs. Mavericks game.

ICYMI ... the Mavericks hooper made the gesture after he missed a contested layup with 1.7 seconds left in the game at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday -- when he felt he was fouled, but didn't get a call.

Of course, Doncic's signal was clearly an expression of frustration -- after all, the Warriors got two free points in the third quarter after a questionable officiating decision ... and the Mavs ended up losing, 127-125.

Regardless of how the Mavs feel about the officiating that night, the league penalized the four-time All-Star minutes ago, saying the hand signal was an "inappropriate and unprofessional gesture."

Doncic wasn't the only Maverick pissed off at the refs  ... team owner Mark Cuban is protesting the loss, saying the officiating potentially cost them that game.

"Worst officiating non-call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA."

So yeah ... Cuban can expect a fine to come his way, too.

Mark Cuban ripped the NBA refs who officiated his team's Wednesday night game against the Warriors, accusing the crew of screwing up a critical call in a crucial game, potentially costing the squad a win (and maybe even a playoff berth), and now his Mavs are protesting the 127-125 loss.

The call in question went down in the waning moments of the 3rd quarter at American Airlines Arena in Dallas, when Warriors center Kevon Looney had an uncontested dunk on an inbound out of a timeout because the Mavs were lined up on the wrong side of the court, which Cuban blames on the refs.

"For those wondering about the play with 1:54 to go on the 3rd, let me explain what happened," Cuban tweeted. "The ref called Mavs ball. The announcer announced it. Then there was a timeout. During the time out the official changed the call and never told us."

He continued ... "Then when they saw us line up as if it were our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors. "Never said a word to us. They got an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2-point game."

Cuban called it the "worst officiating non call mistake possibly in the history of the NBA," adding, "All they had to do was tell us and they didn't."

"There was quite a few people out of position," Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said. "It's correctable, but you first have to admit there was a mistake."

After the game, crew chief Sean Wright gave the refs side of the story, and they're saying they didn't do anything wrong.

"Initially on the floor, the original signal was in fact Golden State ball as this can be seen on video," Wright told The Athletic. "There is a second signal but that signal is for a mandatory timeout that was due to the Mavs."

And, sure enough, video seems to support what the officiating crew is saying.

Meanwhile, GSW coach Steve Kerr said he was confused when he saw the Mavs lined up on the other end of the court because he felt it was pretty clear the Warriors were getting possession of the ball.

Kyrie Irving seemingly snubbed Dillon Brooks when he refused to take the Grizzlies' forward's jersey after their game, but the Mavs superstar says the awkward moment wasn't intentional, saying he'd "probably get [the jersey] next time."

It all went down Monday night after the Grizzlies defeated the Mavs, 112-108, at the FedEx Forum in Memphis. Dillon and Ky shared an embrace on the court following the game, but the encounter didn't exactly go as planned for the 27-year-old Brooks.

In the clip, you see Kyrie hand his jersey to Brooks, but when Brooks went to give his jersey to Irving, Kyrie appeared to be in no mood to receive it ... and kept the exchange at a handshake before walking away.

Social media started to talk after the game, and Kyrie was asked about the exchange.

"I saw that after the game," Irving said. "I'll probably get it next time. Probably next time. Not this time. I was really onto the next thing, thought process-wise."

Meanwhile, on the court, Brooks had his hands full trying to guard Kyrie -- who scored 28 points in 33 minutes. DB is clearly a fan of Irving's, showering the All-Star with praise postgame despite the (maybe?) shade from Kyrie, even comparing him to the Black Mamba.

“He’s just like Kobe [Bryant]," Brooks said. "He’s just like Jordan and those guys. He plays the game at a different place. He uses both hands, mid-range God. And that’s where I want to be at one day, be able to shoot the ball more.”

One thing Kyrie definitely did do after the game was share a moment with Ja Morant, who rejoined the Grizzlies on Monday following an 8-game suspension for showing a gun on Instagram.

Memphis currently sits in second place in the Western Conference. Dillon -- for the second time this month -- is facing an automatic one-game suspension due to his technical foul totals.