Dallas Mavericks

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says 'I would love' NBA to add a team in Mexico

Published Jan. 13, 2017 4:11 p.m. ET

Kerouac Smith

Mexico City hosted the first of two NBA games this season on Thursday night, with the Dallas Mavericks beating the Phoenix Suns, 113-108, at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico.

The Suns are sticking around to play the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, marking the first time Mexico City will host two regular-season games in one season. The NBA held one game there in each of the previous two seasons.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban hopes to see more games played there.

"I would love a team down here. I think it would really help the sport. I would like to come back with the Mavericks, and every time that the NBA asks, we would love to be here," Cuban said.

Mexico City mayor Miguel Angel Mancera said earlier in the week that having three teams in Mexico in such a short time allowed him to dream of a bigger presence — maybe even a permanent franchise located there.

One team that might not like that idea is the "home" team for the two games in Mexico City this week — the Suns. Phoenix is now 0-3 in Mexico — having also lost preseason games there in 1996 and 2009.