Mark Cuban Tries To Get Under Trump’s Skin With No. 46 NBA All-Star Jersey

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By Dave Goldiner February 19, 2017

Mark Cuban, the billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks, is trying to get under President Trump’s skin again.

The Jewish mogul donned a No. 46 jersey for his appearance in the NBA All-Star celebrity basketball game in New Orleans.

Cuban told ESPN after the Friday night game that he picked the digits “to tweak the s–-t out of everybody.”

The number is a none-too-subtle reference to Cuban’s flirtation with mounting a White House run against Trump. Trump is the 45th president, meaning whoever comes next would be No. 46 — a reference to his open flirtation with the idea of launching his own campaign to take out Trump, the 45th U.S. president.

“It was just to f—k with everybody, because that is what I do,” he said. “You’ve got to have fun with it. You can’t take it too seriously.”

Cuban, who has never held public office, was a vocal supporter of Democrat Hillary Clinton, and trolled the #MakeAmericaGreatAgain Republican by showing up in the front row at one of their debates.

Dave Goldiner is the Forward’s director of digital media. Dave is a veteran journalist who has spent two decades working at newspapers in the United States and Africa. A native New Yorker, Goldiner wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered some of the biggest stories of our time, including the attacks of September 11, along with thousands of stories of hope and heartbreak. He also studied and worked in Southern Africa and has written for publications in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He holds masters degrees in journalism and public administration from Columbia University. Dave can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @davegoldiner