Patrick Dumont, the new governor and majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, spoke exclusively. dallas morning news Last week, he talked all things Mavericks, bringing perspective, candor, and surprisingly fresh emotion to what he called the honor of succeeding Mark Cuban as governor.
“The fact that we're even talking about this makes me feel like I have to pinch myself,” he said.
Here, Dumont talks about why his family, including mother-in-law Miriam Adelson, wanted to buy a majority stake in the team and how they will be involved in it.
Q: As you can imagine, there's a lot of intrigue.What fans want to know Who is Patrick Dumont. What is his plan? Why did the Adelson and Dumont families buy the Mavericks?
Dumont (laughter): So many questions. Where do I start?
Q: Let's start with the big question: Why?
A: So, let me tell you, our family loves basketball. I've been a big NBA fan since I was little. When I was a kid, basketball was my sport. We all played together. We all talked about it all the time. And this was before cable, like my own dates. We used to watch big battles happen on the network on Sunday afternoons. It was always part of growing up.
For years, we as a family have considered acquiring other NBA teams. As you probably know, many of them have appeared. But we were always looking for the right situation. It's a place where you can connect with the local community, have a good reason to be there, and know a thing or two about it. We had someone to partner with.
So we looked at some of the other teams as well. We've known Mark Cuban for a long time. That's part of what made this possible. Let me tell you, my whole family loves basketball. My wife is enjoying it. My kids love it. It is very fun. I think it's a great family sport. It's something that people of all ages can play. It's easy to find hoops and basketballs. It really brings people together.
I think the NBA provides an incredible experience for fans. It's very exciting. And the opportunity to be a steward of a team like this is a dream. I never thought that would be possible. If you had told me 10 years ago that I would be a steward for the Dallas Mavericks, I would have said, “That's impossible.'' If you had told me a year ago that that would happen, I would have said, “No way.” It's very exciting. It's electricity.
We have known Mark for a long time. And we hope that by spending a lot of time in Texas and working with destination resorts, we can become part of the Texas business community through a public company. And we talk to Mark all the time. I think that's how things came together.
Q: When you say you're considering acquiring other NBA franchises, what time frame are you talking about?
Dumont: Probably about 10 years.
Q: Since The sale was approved by the NBA Board of Governors. (broadcast on December 27th), has the atmosphere in your house become even more exciting? Did you often watch Mavs games together?
Dumont: Beyond that. When Luka scored his 73, everyone screamed so loud I thought the house was going to collapse. We are very passionate about our team. We are very excited about its success. That makes me very happy. We are all working hard. We'll all go to the game. I'm really looking forward to it and it's going to be fun.
Q: When? News of the sale became public, I'm sure some people wondered if you and Sands Corporation were, in a sense, putting the cart before the horse. Because you call yourself a game company, but there are no games in Texas. Was that a factor in entering the Dallas market?
Dumont: No. As a family, we have always wanted to be part of the Texas business community. We think this is a great place. Dallas is a growing city. Dallas has a lot of positives from the perspective of owning an NBA franchise. It's probably a top 5 market, but could easily be in the top 4 in the next few years. There are many compelling reasons why this series has an incredible future ahead of it. And it made incredible sense for us to invest in Mark and do this. So public companies are something we're very focused on. But my position was that it was a family decision to get it.
Q: Will we be seeing a lot of Dr. Adelson? What will her role be?
Dumont: I think she's going to go to a lot of games with her family and friends. I think she's very excited. Basketball is a very exciting event. You can go with your family and friends. You can send text messages. You can take selfies. You can talk, shout, move around freely and order food. It's the perfect environment to enjoy sporting events. Not as strict as others. And it's also a closer, more intimate experience due to the size of the arena. And you can actually feel the electricity running through the arena during the match. Other sports have far more participants than our venue. Personally, I think the NBA is a great experience. I think Dr. Adelson feels the same way. I don't want to speak for her, but she's very excited and I'm going to support her.
