Don Carter (businessman)

Donald J. Carter
Don Carter in trademark cowboy hat at a Dallas Mavericks game, April 4, 2006
Born	1933 Arkansas
Residence	Sarasota, Florida
Other names	Don Carter
Citizenship	USA
Occupation	Investor, business leader
Known for	Founder of Dallas Mavericks & Dallas Sidekicks
Spouse	Linda Carter
Children	Donald J. "Joey" Carter, Jr.

Donald J. Carter, or Don Carter, is an American investor and businessman who was a founding owner of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Dallas Sidekicks of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).^[1][2] Now a minority partner in the Mavericks, he has had a familiar courtside presence at its home games, always wearing a cowboy hat.

Carter was born into a poor family in Arkansas in 1933.^[3] However, by 1957, his mother, Mary Crowley made a fortune in a direct marketing interior decoration business, known as Home Interiors and Gifts.^[4][3] The business was sold to Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst and netted Carter millions of dollars.^[5]

Carter, along with Norm Sonju, founded an NBA expansion team, the Dallas Mavericks, in 1980.^[1] When Sonju had difficulty securing the funds needed for the US$12 million expansion entry fee, Carter stepped forward to guarantee its payment.^[6] This initial investment in the team (US$32 million in today's terms) eventually earned him US$125 million (US$175 million in today's terms) when he sold the team in 1996 to an investment group led by H. Ross Perot, Jr..^[7][8]

Over the years, Carter has owned many different types of businesses, including a Rolls-Royce dealership.^[9] Other businesses include banks, trucking firms, hotels, rodeo arenas, and cattle ranches. In the 2011 championship win by the Dallas Mavericks over the Miami Heat he was given the honor of receiving the Larry O'Brien trophy by Mark Cuban as the first owner. A minority (4%) owner, he frequently attends Mavericks games.^[10]

See also

• Dallas Mavericks
• Dallas Sidekicks

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Aron (2003), p. 4–6.
2. ^ "Around the State: Sports". Texas Monthly‎ 19 (11): 42. Nov 1991. http://books.google.com/books?id=sysEAAAAMBAJ. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Braga, Michael (6 Nov 2005). "Multimillionaire invests big in high-end condos". Herald Tribune (Sarasota, FL). http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20051106/BUSINESS/511060896?Title=Multimillionaire-invests-big-in-high-end-condos. 
4. ^ Brendan M. Case (22 Sept 2008). "Home Interiors and Gifts details plan to split up bankrupt company". Denton Record Chronicle. http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/092308dnbushomeinteriors.14aaecf.html. 
5. ^ Myerson, Allen R. (22 July 1994). "Buyouts in the Heart of Texas". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/1994/07/22/business/buyouts-in-the-heart-of-texas.html?pagewanted=all. 
6. ^ Papanek, John. "Well Now, Looka Here," Sports Illustrated, October 27, 1980.
7. ^ "New Mavs Group Removes Motta". St. Petersburg Times: p. 60. 2 May 1996. http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19960502&id=x7sMAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wV4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6547,1850317. 
8. ^ Aron (2003), p. 141.
9. ^ Falk (2009), p. 289.
10. ^ Whitt, Richie (1 June 2006). "Proud Papa". Dallas Observer. http://www.dallasobserver.com/2006-06-01/news/proud-papa/2. 

External links

• Drape, Joe. "Mavericks' Founder Finally Gets His Title," The New York Times, Sunday, June 19, 2011.

Bibliography

• Aron, Jaime (2003). Tales of the Dallas Mavericks‎. Sports Publishing. ISBN 978-1582615639. http://books.google.com/books?id=NXV7gDi2_QUC. 
• Falk, David (2009). The Bald Truth: Secrets of Success from the Locker Room to the Boardroom‎. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 1416584382. http://books.google.com/books?id=uqCaZetq9QYC&pg=PA289&dq=donald+carter+%22rolls+royce%22&cd=2. 

Persondata
Name	Carter, Don
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1933
Place of birth	Arkansas
Date of death
Place of death