NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – Hundreds of guests were in attendance at the Waterside Marriott to see Portsmouth native Dorian Finney-Smith on Friday night. His foundation hosted its first annual Black Tie Gala. More than just raising funds to give back to the Hampton Roads community, guests also had a chance to meet the owner of the Dallas Mavericks himself – Mark Cuban.
Both Finney-Smith and Cuban spoke with Craig Loper for the Sportswrap before the start of the event.
“I’m excited to have Mr. Cuban as the keynote speaker,” said Finney-Smith. “I look forward to this event as an opportunity to share the mission of my foundation and continue to impact families and children at a larger scale.”
The Gala is the latest of the Finney-Smith Foundation’s charitable events in Hampton Roads. From free youth basketball camps to food drives, the foundation has held events in the area for the past six years.
Finney-Smith played basketball for I.C. Norcom High School, leading the team to Group AAA championships in both 2010 and 2011. From there he went to Virginia Tech for one year before transferring to Florida. Undrafted in 2016, he signed with the Mavericks where he’s enjoyed a six-year career. In February, Finney-Smith signed a four-year extension worth $55,560,960, securing his future in Dallas.