And for that reason, Mark Cuban is out.
The business mogul and owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks intends to leave the ABC hit show "Shark Tank" at the conclusion of its 16th season next year. Cuban made the announcement on a podcast hosted by former NBA players Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.
"This is our 15th year, and next year, our 16th year, is gonna be my last year," 65-year-old Cuban shared on the "All the Smoke" podcast. "So I got one more year to go."
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"Shark Tank" began airing in 2009 but Cuban didn't appear until Season 2 as a guest judge before becoming a mainstay the very next year. ABC has yet to confirm the news of Cuban's departure, but it appears the network will have one big seat to fill in a lineup that includes sharks Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John and Kevin O'Leary.
"I love it because it sends the message the American dream is alive and well," Cuban said of the series. "I feel like in doing 'Shark Tank' all these years, we've trained multiple generations of entrepreneurs. That if somebody can come from Iowa or Sacramento or wherever, and show up on the carpet of 'Shark Tank' and show their business and get a deal, it's going to inspire generations of kids."
Cuban added that he intends to spend more time with his family.
