Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynt Marshall said the first time Mark Cuban called to offer her the job, she thought it was her kids asking for money and handed the phone to her husband

• Cynt Marshall said when Mark Cuban called to offer her the job of Mavericks CEO, she thought it was one of her kids asking for money.
• She said she handed the phone to her husband, who told her, "this dude doesn't need any money."

Cynt Marshall apparently had an unconventional response when Mark Cuban first called her to offer the job as CEO of the Dallas Mavericks.

Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit on Tuesday in Dana Point, California, Marshall told the crowd that she thought Cuban was one of her four children asking for money.

"I gave my husband the phone, and I said, 'One of the kids needs money — take care of it,'" she said.

Complimentary Tech Event

Transform talent with learning that works

Capability development is critical for businesses who want to push the envelope of innovation.Discover how business leaders are strategizing around building talent capabilities and empowering employee transformation.Know More

Marshall said her husband came back to her and said, "This dude doesn't need any money."

Marshall has been CEO of the Dallas Mavericks, which is owned by Mark Cuban, since 2018. She is the first black female CEO in NBA history.

But Marshall admitted that she didn't know much about the Mavericks, or Cuban, before taking the gig.

"First of all, when Mark Cuban called me - okay, don't judge me - I didn't know Mark Cuban," she said.

Marshall said her husband had to explain who he was and that he was on the ABC reality TV show, "Shark Tank," which she said she'd never seen.

Marshall was offered the job as CEO shortly after an investigation in Sports Illustrated uncovered a toxic culture of harassment and abuse at the Mavericks.

She said that when she agreed to meet with Cuban, she didn't want to take the job.

"What woman in her right mind wants to work here?" she said of her thinking at the time.

Marshall said she eventually decided to take the job and attempt to turn the organization around after hearing stories from female employees.

"I thought, 'You know what? I gotta do this for the sisterhood. And the brotherhood will benefit, but I gotta do this for the sisterhood,'" she said.