January 4, 2000 always has been recognized as the day Mark Cuban purchased the Mavericks because that was the day he signed a letter of intent to buy the franchise from Ross Perot Jr. at a valuation of $280 million.
So, happy 18th anniversary, Mark.
Funny thing, though. On Jan. 4, 2000, there was no press conference because real estate magnate Perot at 9 a.m. that morning broke news of the sale to about 60 Mavericks employees, then boarded a flight for London. The formal press conference to announce the sale didn't occur until Jan. 20, 2000 and formal approval by the NBA Board of Governors didn't happen until April.