Mark Cuban
Dallas MavericksFor 21 years, Mark Cuban has been a member of a very exclusive club of 30 NBA owners. But that doesn’t mean the billionaire has lost touch with his working-class roots. When talking of his Dallas Mavericks, Cuban speaks as any fan would: “I am just a huge Mavericks fan... I love basketball.”
There was a time when Cuban could barely afford a nosebleed seat to a Mavs game, and his long-standing passion makes him simpatico with the average person on the street. Living out the fantasy of many a diehard Mavs fan, he has been known to play pick-up with his employees, who just happen to be among the best players in the world. Beloved by his players and the entire Dallas metro area, Cuban sets the tone during games with his animated sideline antics, including subjecting referees to a verbal shark tank of criticism. For this, the owner/everyman has been fined millions of dollars by the league for acting just like you and me.