Mark Cuban and Luka Doncic Have the Same Relationship Despite Calling Out Controversial Moment

The Dallas Mavericks’ world has shifted dramatically over the 2024-25 season, but not every connection has frayed. Mark Cuban, no longer the central authority in Dallas’ ownership structure, still maintains an open line with superstar Luka Doncic. Their exchanges always carry the same mix of banter and honest talk, even as the team adjusts to a different leadership dynamic.

Yet, this evolving era has not been entirely smooth. Cuban recently addressed a moment that sparked debate about the team’s handling of its star during their finals run in 2024. Doncic was seen celebrating the Mavericks’ Western Conference Finals win, drinking a can of Fulton Lonely Blonde Ale with his father.

Michael Finley, Mavericks VP of basketball operations, unexpectedly took the beer right out of Doncic’s hand while cameras and reporters were present, an incident that left fans wondering if player-management boundaries had been crossed. Could this have been a glimpse of deeper friction, or just an overblown snapshot in a high-stakes season?

“We still DM and most of the time he’ll respond to me and I’ll still give him shit about stuff,” Cuban said on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast. “Even when we went to play the Lakers, I’m sitting and talking to his dad, him and I are friends, right? We’ll always sit and talk and hang out… give Luka a hard time… We still communicate as much as we ever did. I love Luka to death. I like his team. I mean, yeah, I got nothing bad. Only great things to say about Luka.”

Cuban’s words reflect a familiarity beyond the owner-player formality many expected to dissolve after the sale. He speaks not like a distant investor, but like someone who still trades in small, everyday interactions: a text here, a joke there. The mention of Doncic’s father isn’t casual either; it hints at a level of access few around the superstar enjoy, which keeps Cuban in Luka’s trusted orbit. A few months ago, Cuban and Doncic’s father were spotted together at a Lakers game, shaking hands.

It takes only a look at the Phoenix Suns’ mismanagement over the last year to understand that Cuban’s dynamic of part mentor, part friend is rare in modern NBA hierarchies, where power can feel transactional or performative. Mark Cuban positions himself somewhere in between: not Luka’s confidant, but not an absentee figure. That balance, he suggests, has always been their norm; enough closeness to poke fun, enough distance to let the team function without his constant hand.

This is a developing story.

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