Don Carter, who co-founded the Dallas Mavericks in 1980, passed away Wednesday night at the age of 84, according to The Dallas Morning News. Carter was also the team’s first majority owner. Despite selling the team to Ross Perot Jr. in 1996—who, in turn, sold the team to Mark Cuban in 2000—Carter kept a minority share of the Mavs. He was never completely separated from the team.
When the Mavs won their first and only title in 2011, Mark Cuban was adamant that the trophy be handed to Don and his wife, Linda Carter, first.