Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban has had enough of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
During an interview with TMZ, Cuban lightheartedly called on James to retire because he’s “still so good” and doesn’t want the Mavericks to have to deal with him anymore.
“Yes, LeBron, it’s time for you to quit,” Cuban said. “I’m tired of you.”
Asked if he was serious, Cuban laughed and said yes.
“No, I’m bein’ serious, only ’cause he’s still so good,” Cuban said. “He’s on the Lakers. They’re our rivals, so, it’s time to retire, LeBron.”
Cuban has had to deal with James plenty since he became involved with the Mavericks. He bought a majority stake in the Dallas organization back in 2000, a few years before James began his NBA career. Cuban remained the controlling owner of the Mavericks until 2023, when he sold the team but maintained a stake in the organization.
Somehow, James has only faced the Mavericks in one playoff series in his NBA career, and it came in the 2011 NBA Finals. Cuban and the Mavs actually got the better of James in that series, with Dallas defeating James’ Miami Heat in six games to claim the NBA title.
For many years, Cuban had the luxury of operating in a different conference than James, as the four-time MVP spent the first 15 seasons of his career playing in the Eastern Conference. But in the 2018 offseason, James decided to take his talents to the Lakers, bringing him to the Western Conference for the first time in his NBA career.
As such, Cuban has had to spend the last six seasons worrying about James in the West, but he’s been fortunate enough to avoid the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in the playoffs during that span.
The Mavs may actually be in better shape heading into the new season than the Lakers, as Dallas just reached the NBA Finals in the 2023-24 season and is looking to parlay that into another strong showing in the 2024-25 campaign. Los Angeles, on the other hand, didn’t win a playoff series last season.
The two teams will face each other a few times during the 2024-25 regular season, with the first matchup coming on Jan. 7 in Dallas. James will look to prove to Cuban and the rest of the NBA this season that he’s still one of the best players in the world, even as he approaches 40 years old.
