Mark Cuban on Melinda French Gates Joining Kraken Ownership

Mark Cuban has weighed in on one of the more unexpected crossovers in recent sports ownership news: Melinda French Gates joining the Seattle Kraken's ownership group as a minority investor, and signing on with majority owner Samantha Holloway's push to bring an NBA franchise back to Seattle. Cuban, who spent more than two decades as the public face and majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks before stepping back into a minority role, shared his thoughts with LandonBuford.com.

Cuban Sees a Familiar Name With Real Basketball Credibility

Cuban's reaction centered less on the hockey side of the deal and more on what French Gates could bring to a future Sonics bid. A Dallas native, French Gates has long been a visible presence at Mavericks games, and Cuban made a point of noting that her ties to the city run deeper than a casual fan's.

"I think that'd be great. I mean, if expansion happens — they're obviously big in Seattle, and Melinda is very accomplished and smart. She's a Dallas girl, so she obviously knows basketball. She's come to Mavs games, and I think she went to the same high school as my kids, so she's a hockadaisy. But I think it'll be great. She's got a commitment to the city, and I think that's what it takes." For transparency and accuracy purposes, Gates attended Ursuline Academy of Dallas, which is a Catholic college preparatory school for girls, and is similar to The Hockaday School, an independent, secular, college preparatory day school for girls Pre-K through 12, the school that Cuban's girls attended growing up.

The comment reflects the same theme that has followed French Gates since news of her Kraken investment broke: her arrival is being read less as a hockey story and more as a signal to Seattle's NBA expansion hopes. For Cuban, who built the Mavericks into one of the league's most recognizable franchises, credibility and civic commitment matter just as much as capital when it comes to bringing a league back to a city.

French Gates Steps Into Ownership for the First Time

French Gates' move into the Kraken's ownership group, pending NHL approval, marks her first stake in a major professional sports franchise. She is joining Holloway, one of the few women to hold a principal ownership position in the NHL, in a partnership both have described as built on shared values around leadership and community investment. French Gates has said the timing reflects a broader shift, with more women stepping into ownership and leadership roles across professional sports than in years past.

Holloway, for her part, has been direct about her ambitions beyond hockey. She has confirmed she is building an ownership group capable of bidding for an NBA franchise, and pointed to her group's recent majority stake in Climate Pledge Arena as a structural advantage in any future pursuit of a team for Seattle.

A Push That Now Spans Two Leagues and a Growing List of Names

Seattle's campaign to reclaim an NBA team has been building for years, with former Sonics starGary Payton among its most persistent public advocates. Payton has said the involvement of the Gates family, long connected to Seattle, only strengthens the effort. The circle of interested parties has continued to widen beyond basketball insiders as well, with former NFL receiver Nate Burlesonrecently expressing interest in joining a future Sonics ownership group as a minority investor should the team return.

Cuban's comments add another prominent voice from outside Seattle to a chorus that now includes current and former athletes, business leaders, and civic figures. His perspective carries particular weight given his own history running an NBA franchise and his familiarity with what it takes to build a winning organization and a devoted fan base from the ground up.

Hockey Results Remain the Immediate Priority

Even with expansion talk building around the ownership group, Holloway has been clear that on-ice performance remains the Kraken's most urgent focus. The team has made the playoffs only once in five seasons and hired an outside firm to review its hockey operations after finishing sixth in the Pacific Division this past season. French Gates has voiced confidence that the franchise is heading in the right direction under Holloway's leadership, pointing to the recent success of Seattle's other professional teams as evidence of the city's appetite for a winner.

What Comes Next

For now, French Gates' role remains confined to hockey, and any NBA expansion bid is still in its early stages. But with Holloway confirming her group's basketball ambitions, Payton continuing to build support behind the scenes, and outside figures like Cuban and Burleson publicly endorsing the effort, Seattle's path back to the NBA appears to be gaining structure, funding, and visibility all at once.