Mark Cuban Says He Recruited LeBron to Mavericks

Filed under: Heat, Mavericks, NBA Rumors, Sports Business and Media, NBA Free Agents

When LeBron James announced he would be taking his talents to South Beach in front of the whole world, Dan Gilbert wasn't the only owner left feeling sick.



Mark Cuban, the boisterous and often controversial owner of the Dallas Mavericks, says he vehemently courted 'The King' and his business manager, Maverick Carter, during LeBron's free agent bonanza last summer. He did so through a barrage of text messages after the July 1 start of free agency with the main message that James' best shot at a title was with Dallas, and not Miami.



He envisioned James teaming up with All-Star point guard Jason Kidd along with superstar forward Dirk Nowitzki and that he in turn would provide him with a quality set of ancillary parts.



"Before he made his decision, what I told [James] ... and what I told Maverick was no team had ever blown up their team to ground zero -- well, I shouldn't use those words -- blown their team up of all of their core, and then added a couple of free agents and won a championship," Cuban told ESPN's Michael Wallace before the Heat played the Mavericks on Saturday at American Airlines Center. "It's always taken someone to come into a good team, make it better, and put it over the top. That's what I told him, and that's what I told Maverick."

 

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Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/11/27/mark-cuban-says-he-recruited-lebron-to-mavericks/