Not an Adelson in the bunch.
Let’s hope this quashes the silly conspiracy theories supposing that Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, meant to buy the Mavs and pirate them to Vegas, leaving Dallas as an expansion site for the second time in its semi-sordid history.
Believe me when I tell you, friends, the Adelsons came to Dallas to get a foot in the door of the casino business in Texas, potentially the final frontier in legalized gambling. Even if they’d wanted to drag the Mavs back to Vegas, the NBA never would have let them. The league isn’t about to abandon the nation’s fourth-largest TV market for the 40th, then stuff an expansion franchise down our throats as a consolation prize after all our years of suffering.
Besides, the Adelsons have already squeezed everything out of Vegas they could get. Texas represents a far greater return on their investment, if all Miriam’s millions sent to prop up state legislators finally pay off.
And, just you watch, they will, soon as the lieutenant governor hangs ‘em up.
Now, you can hold the Luka deal against Dumont if you want, and I won’t blame you, even if he was just doing what Nico Harrison asked. He knows now it was a colossal mistake. He’ll no doubt make more, though you can only hope they’re not on the same scale.
The good news is the Vegas people are invested in this market, they’ve got plenty of money and, unlike some owners around here — looking at you, Ray Davis — they’re willing to spend whatever it takes.
For that matter, this market has never seen such loaded owners. Miriam could buy and sell Jerry Jones twice over. I’m down with it if she is.