Dallas Mavericks

Lore & Background

Throughout the 1980s, the Mavericks were a perennial playoff team, led by All-Stars Rolando Blackman and Mark Aguirre. They struggled during the 1990s, entering a period of rebuilding, until the acquisition of Dirk Nowitzki in 1998. Nowitzki would become the cornerstone of the most successful period in franchise history, leading the team to its first NBA Finals appearance in 2006 and its only NBA championship in 2011. The Mavericks later entered a rebuilding phase in the tail end of Nowitzki's storied career; although they missed the playoffs in three consecutive years from 2017 to 2019 (after which Nowitzki retired following his record-breaking 21st season with Dallas), the franchise's fortunes immediately rebounded once again with the acquisition of Luka Dončić; the Mavericks returned to the playoffs in 2020, reached the Western Conference finals in 2022 for the first time since their 2011 championship, and reached their third NBA Finals in 2024. In February 2025, the Mavericks traded Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers mainly for Anthony Davis. Since the Mavericks' inaugural 1980–81 season, the Mavericks have won five division titles (1987, 2007, 2010, 2021, 2024), three conference championships (2006, 2011, 2024) and one NBA championship (2011).

In Their Own Story

The narrative arc of the 2025–26 campaign swung violently between triumph and despair. On January 29, 2026, the organization found a moment of glory, retiring Mark Aguirre's jersey number 24 during a game against the Charlotte Hornets. Yet, the momentum stalled quickly. By March 10, a loss to the Atlanta Hawks confirmed the team could not improve on their previous season's 39 wins. The final blow came on March 23 in overtime against the Warriors, sealing their fate with a 26–56 record. Despite finishing with identical records to the New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas landed 12th in the West, ranked behind New Orleans due to a 1–3 season series tiebreaker.

Reader's Guide

The Mavericks were founded as an expansion team for the 1980–81 season. They joined the Midwest Division of the Western Conference. Their first head coach was Dick Motta. The team's name was chosen by fan vote, beating Wranglers and Express, and was inspired by the TV western Maverick. The Mavericks played their early home games at Reunion Arena. Key early players included Brad Davis (whose number 15 jersey was retired), Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman, and Jay Vincent. The team made its first playoff appearance in 1983–84.

Did You Know?

• The Mavericks' name was chosen by fans via postcard, receiving 4,600 votes.
• Brad Davis was signed from the Continental Basketball Association and later had his number 15 retired.
• The Mavericks' first playoff series win was against the Seattle SuperSonics in 1984.