NEW YORK — Dallas Mavericks owner
Mark Cuban said he won’t initiate a bid to purchase a minority stake in the Mets, but he would consider it if they reached out.
“On the Mets, I’m not gonna chase it, I’m not gonna call out [to them],” Cuban said before his Mavericks beat the Knicks, 113-97, Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.
“If they want to contact me, if they have an interest and they think I’d be a good owner, I’d take their call and I’d be more than happy to discuss it. But I’m done chasing and bidding on baseball teams.”
Mets owners
Fred and
Jeff Wilpon announced Friday that they were seeking a minority owner to purchase 20-25 percent of the team in the wake of the
Bernie Madoff scandal and ensuing litigation that took a bite out of the family finances.
“I’m not out there trying to buy a team, but if somebody contacted me and it made sense, I’d listen,” Cuban added after the game. “But I’m not out there to trying to bid or anything like that. I’m not contacting their investment bankers or doing any of those things.”
Cuban previously bid on both the Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers but doesn’t want to be used simply “to drive up the price” for the Mets.
Asked if he hoped to own a baseball team down the road, he said, “I’ll look at it. I’ve always said if it’s an iconic franchise in a big market, then it would be of interest.”
Still, he won’t pursue anything right now.
“I did that before,” he said. “I’m not going to do it again.”
