Lm Otero / AP

Mark Cuban smiles after a news conference in Dallas on Wednesday.

What others consider risky, Cuban does not because he does extensive homework. Case in point: Putting Johnson in charge of a playoff team a few months after he’d left the court, with only a partial season of experience as an assistant coach. The Mavs wound up going to the NBA finals in Johnson’s first full season, followed by Dallas winning a league-best 67 games last year.

“He didn’t just decide two hours before he hired me that he wanted me to be his coach,” Johnson said. “He had a chance to watch and ask questions. There were certain criteria I had to meet.

“He’s not a guy that wastes time or money. There’s a lot of time spent behind the scenes before he moves forward. He’s very innovative and creative. And determined. That passion and determination, some people have it and some people don’t. He’s one of the guys that have it.”

It’s a good thing, too, because Cuban has plenty of things going.

Beyond the Mavericks and HDNet, he’s also involved in 2929 Entertainment, which co-produced the Academy Award-nominated “Good Night and Good Luck,” and Landmark Theaters, the largest national chain dedicated to independent films. He also started and oversees the Fallen Patriot Fund, which has given $2.5 million to families of soldiers killed or seriously wounded overseas.

Plus, he regularly updates his blog and reads every e-mail he gets; feel free to write him at markhd.net.

“He’s an Everyman’s owner,” said Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations. “He’s the frat brother that is going to interact and engage with people the same way he used to no matter how many zeros are attached to his name.”

At 49, Cuban is married with two young daughters and a spot on Forbes’ list of the richest people in the world — No. 407 with $2.3 billion as of March.

He could spend the rest of his life counting his money, but that’s not his style. He’s going to keep seeking challenges, keep working hard.

Then again, it’s not exactly “hard” work when you live by this credo: “I’m not going to do it unless it is fun.”

“They’re all passions of mine, and I’m fortunate I can focus time on them,” Cuban said. “I wish I could tell you there was one secret ingredient that makes it all work.

“But there’s not,” he said, smiling like only a billionaire can.

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