Daymond John Says 'Shark Tank' Represents 'the American Dream' amid Legal Conflict with Former Entrepreneurs

"You can all gather 'round the TV from generation to generation," Daymond John said during a panel at the ATX TV Festival

Daymond John isn't letting his current legal conflict affect his rosy view of Shark Tank.

During ATX TV Festival's "We Have a Deal: Inside the Business of Shark Tank" panel, the producer, 54, shared what makes the long-running show so successful in his eyes. He likened the concept of the show to "the American Dream."

"You can all gather ‘round the TV from generation to generation," John said of the series. "It’s just the American Dream and a platform for all Americans to come together."

John also admitted that the show initially wasn't well-received. "The show struggled for a while. People didn’t understand the concept," he said. "Celebrity business people turned down the show."

"[Mark] Cuban helped keep the show going," he continued, before jokingly adding, "He didn’t mind sitting up there with all of those bozos up there.”

Shark Tank first premiered on ABC in 2009, giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their business plans to investors and try to land the deals of a lifetime.

The show recently wrapped its 14th season and currently stars John and Cuban as investor "sharks" as well as Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec and Kevin O'Leary.

Related: Shark Tank's Daymond John Seeks Restraining Order Against Former Reality Show Entrepreneurs

John’s comments about the ABC series come in the midst of his ongoing legal issues.

The producer is currently seeking a temporary restraining order against three former Shark Tank contestants: Bubba Q's Boneless Baby Back Ribs owners Al "Bubba" Baker, his wife Sabrina and their daughter Brittani.

The contestants, who first appeared on the show in 2013, allege that John cut them out of profits, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“After repeated attempts to give the Baker’s the ability to correct their violations. It is unfortunate that it has come to this," John’s spokesperson Zach Rosenfield told PEOPLE in a statement. "This temporary restraining order is due to the Baker’s blatant actions to undermine a business partnership and the legal parameters they agreed to 4 years ago. Their belief that they can unwind poor business decisions through slanderous social media posts and articles will no longer be tolerated.”

Shark Tank has brought in over 190 million dollars in deals throughout its 14 seasons.

During the panel, John jokingly described the series as “an hour being grilled by four morons and one genius.” He also revealed that his favorite pitch in season 14 was by "a young kid going to UCLA who created 'Sliimey Honey' to help people with anxiety."

Ultimately, Shark Tank, John said, is "about bringing people together."

"We've become this family," he added.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Shark Tank airs Fridays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.