NBA Owner Cuban Joins Reality TV Fray

By Todd Peterson

Tuesday February 24, 2004 11:00 AM EST

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Another day, another crazy billionaire mogul trying to get into reality television.

Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of basketball's Dallas Mavericks, has agreed to give away $1 million of his own money when he hosts a reality show called "The Benefactor," the Associated Press reports.

In a statement Cuban released to The Dallas Morning News, the NBA owner says that contestants will not need any special talents. "I'm not looking to find out who is the grossest, funniest, prettiest, smartest or able to go without food or water the longest," he said.

In fact, it's still not immediately clear what contestants will need to do. Other minor details, like the show's format and number episodes, also have yet to be worked out, AP reports.

Cuban, however, does say that the winning contestant will have to "get on my good side at the right time, and whoever that is, is going to walk away with a check from me for $1 million."

As to why Cuban would do such a thing, ABC issued a statement that read: "Because he can and because he can't wait to devise the means through which applicants must prove to him that they deserve the money."

It also remains to be seen just how difficult it will be to get on Cuban's good side. For instance, if you're an NBA referee -- forget about it. Cuban has been fined more than a million dollars in penalties for chewing out refs since he bought the Mavericks in 2000.