Dallas Mavericks news: Shaq speaks highly of Mark Cuban

Shaquille O’Neal had kind words for the Dallas Mavericks owner

Shaquille O’Neal has never been a Dallas Mavericks player, but we can almost guarantee that if he was, Mark Cuban would have been his biggest fan.

Among NBA owners, he’s probably tied with Steve Ballmer — principal owner of the LA Clippers —  in terms of emotional investment from a fan standpoint. Cuban truly cares about his team and his players, always seen celebrating when they win and upset when they lose.

It’s one of the reasons the Mavericks, despite not being in New York, LA, or Miami, have been able to stay competitive to some degree over the last decade-plus. Cuban is willing to do what it takes from a financial standpoint to keep the team competitive.

Shaq says Mark Cuban’s down-to-earth nature is a great quality

Shaquille O’Neal, speaking to Mark Cuban of FanSided.com promoting Krispy Kreme’s latest doughnuts (Doughnut Bites & Mini Crullers), was asked jokingly about who should be commissioner if Adam Silver were to step down if it were between himself and Mark Cuban.

Shaq, without a delay, said Cuban would be better at the job.

O’Neal went on to talk about what makes Cuban such a great guy and fit for such a role:

"“Adam [Silver] does a great job, he really does. He let’s the players do whatever they want, I commend him for that. And Mark would probably be the same way. Mark is a guy that you can talk to. Mark’s a guy that, if you see him on the street, you can strike up a conversation with him and he doesn’t act like Mark Cuban the billionare, he acts like Mark Cuban that’s wearing a t-shirt and jeans.”"

Cuban hasn’t shown any actual interest in becoming NBA commissioner, and in all reality probably wouldn’t take on such a role because he’d have to forfeit his Mavericks ownership stake. He has, however, talked about the possibility of running for president over the last few months as he’s been launched into the political space during the coronavirus pandemic.

Praise from Shaq is no small feat. With 15 All-Star selections, O’Neal is a four-time NBA champion and has covered the league as an analyst for TNT for the last several seasons after retiring as a player.