Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is interested in buying his hometown Pittsburgh Pirates, but the ownership told him the team isn't for sale despite its ongoing streak of 13 consecutive losing seasons. In an e-mail response to The Associated Press, Cuban said Monday he looked into buying the team recently, but "they told me they have no interest in selling." Cuban's interest in the team he grew up rooting for is well known, but this is the first time he has acknowledged wanting to buy the Pirates. Previously, he said he would look into acquiring a stake only if the Pirates were put up for sale or if acquiring a lesser share of the team would help keep it in Pittsburgh. "The Pirates are not for sale," club vice president Patty Paytas said, responding to Cuban's comment. The Pirates were bought 10 years ago by a group assembled by newspaper heir Kevin McClatchy, the managing general partner. The largest investor is Wheeling, W.Va., newspaper publisher G. Ogden Nutting and his two sons, who were initially brought into the group by McClatchy in 1996 and have since acquired at least a 25 percent stake of the 119-year-old franchise.