Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks won the 2011 NBA championship, and in the moments after the final buzzer, their most important player walked off the court. Dirk Nowitzki had scored 21 points in that game, 18 of them in the second half. He was so overwhelmed that he headed to the locker room before the game officially ended. Staff members had to bring him back to the floor for the trophy presentation. Three decades earlier, this same franchise had won its very first game, beating San Antonio 103-92. It then proceeded to lose 67 of its 82 games that inaugural season. How it traveled from that beginning to a championship involves a gift for a wife, a cowboy from 1950s television, and a German forward who became the franchise's defining player.
Don Carter owned a company called Home Interiors and Gifts in Dallas. He came to the NBA through a path that nearly never opened. His lawyer, Doug Adkins, connected him in 1978 with a Californian named Garn Eckardt, who was trying to move an NBA franchise to the city. When those talks collapsed, Carter stayed interested for a personal reason: he wanted to give his wife Linda an NBA team as a gift. Linda Carter had played basketball at Duncanville High School, and that detail would eventually shape professional basketball in Dallas.
Norm Sonju, who had been president and general manager of the Buffalo Braves, was arriving at the same project from a different direction. He had studied Dallas as a possible home for the Braves, but that franchise moved to California as the San Diego Clippers. Sonju was introduced to Carter by Mayor Robert Folsom, who had his own connections to the city's basketball past. Folsom had been among the owners of the Dallas Chaparrals, a team that relocated to San Antonio in 1973 and became the Spurs. Together, Sonju and Carter tried to purchase the Milwaukee Bucks and then the Kansas City Kings. Disagreements over relocation ended both attempts.
The NBA in the 1978-79 season was struggling. Eighteen of the league's 22 teams were losing money, and television ratings had dropped by 26 percent. Commissioner Larry O'Brien announced during the 1979 All-Star Game weekend that two new franchises would join the league for the 1980-81 season: one in Dallas and one in Minneapolis. The Minnesota ownership group withdrew, leaving only Dallas. The Minnesota Timberwolves would not enter the league until 1989. Future commissioner David Stern, then serving as general counselor, negotiated the expansion fee at $12.5 million. Carter provided half.
Fans chose the team's name by postcard, with Maverick winning from 4,600 submissions, beating out both Wranglers and Express. The name came from the television western Maverick, which ran from 1957 to 1962. James Garner, who played the title character, became a member of the ownership group. The University of Texas at Arlington, which also used the Mavericks nickname, raised objections but chose not to pursue legal action.
Dick Motta, who had guided the Washington Bullets to the NBA title in 1977-78, was hired as the first head coach. The first significant draft pick, Kiki VanDeWeghe of UCLA, was selected 11th in the 1980 NBA Draft but refused to play for an expansion franchise and staged a holdout of more than a month. Dallas traded him to Denver for picks that materialized as Rolando Blackman in 1981 and Sam Vincent in 1985. A quieter acquisition that same December proved far more durable: Brad Davis was a 6-foot-3 guard then playing for the Anchorage Northern Knights of the Continental Basketball Association when a Dallas scout attended one of his games. Davis had been funding his University of Maryland studies through his basketball salary in Anchorage and had to be persuaded to leave. He stayed with the Mavericks for 12 years, and the organization eventually retired his number 15 jersey.
The 1981 NBA Draft refashioned the franchise in a single afternoon. Dallas selected Mark Aguirre with the first overall pick, Rolando Blackman ninth, and Jay Vincent 24th. Vincent led the team in scoring that second season with 21.4 points per game and earned All-Rookie honors. The Mavericks improved to 28-54, climbing past the Utah Jazz in the Midwest Division standings. Aguirre would average 24.6 points per game across his seven-year career in Dallas, and Blackman would contribute 19.2 over 11 seasons. Within two years, that trio would carry the franchise to the NBA playoffs for the first time.
By the 1982-83 season, the Mavericks were genuine playoff contenders for the first time. At the All-Star break, they stood 25-24 after winning 12 of their previous 15 games. They finished 38-44, missing the playoffs by seven games behind Denver but improving by 10 games from the prior year. Aguirre led the team with 24.4 points per game, ranking sixth in the NBA. Brad Davis finished 10th in the league in assists at 7.2 per game and shot .845 from the free-throw line, good for sixth in the NBA in that category as well.
Derek Harper arrived as the 11th pick in the 1983 draft. The 6-foot-4 guard would spend the better part of the next decade in Dallas, averaging 15 points and 6.1 assists per game. His arrival completed a backcourt that could compete in the Western Conference.
The 1983-84 season produced the franchise's first winning record at 43-39. Aguirre averaged 29.5 points per game, second in the NBA only to Utah's Adrian Dantley, earning him selection as the team's first All-Star. Dallas secured the fourth seed in the Western Conference and beat the Seattle SuperSonics in five games in the opening round. The fifth game required a venue change: Reunion Arena was hosting a tennis tournament, so it was played at Moody Coliseum instead. A Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers team ended the run four games to one in the second round. An earlier trade also paid off that year: Dallas held Cleveland's first-round pick, which landed as the fourth overall selection, and used it on Sam Perkins of North Carolina. Perkins would average 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds across six Dallas seasons.
By the mid-1980s, the Dallas Cowboys were on their way to a 1-15 record in 1989, and the Mavericks had replaced them as the most popular professional team in the Metroplex. The 1984-85 squad finished 44-38. Rolando Blackman represented Dallas at the 1985 All-Star Game, and Sam Perkins made the All-Rookie team. The playoff exit was brief: Dallas won Game 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers in double overtime and then lost the next three straight. In the 1985 draft, the eighth pick, again from a Cleveland trade, brought forward Detlef Schrempf from Washington. A separate deal sent center Kurt Nimphius to the Los Angeles Clippers for James Donaldson, who provided the reliable frontcourt presence the team had lacked since its founding.
Rolando Blackman represented Dallas again at the 1986 All-Star Game, which was hosted at Reunion Arena. The 1985-86 Mavericks ranked second in the league in scoring at 115.3 points per game. They beat Utah three games to one in the first playoff round before the Lakers eliminated them in six.
In the 1986 draft, Roy Tarpley arrived as the seventh overall pick, one of the most gifted and troubled players the franchise would ever carry. The 1986-87 regular season was the best in Mavericks history to that point: 55-27 and the franchise's first Midwest Division title. After winning Game 1 of the playoffs by hammering Seattle by 22 points, the Mavericks lost the next three and were eliminated in the first round. Dick Motta, the franchise's original head coach, resigned after the exit. John MacLeod, who had guided the Phoenix Suns to nine playoff berths in 11 seasons including an NBA Finals appearance in 1976, was hired as the replacement.
In 1987-88, the Mavericks posted a franchise-best 11-game winning streak and finished 53-29. Roy Tarpley won the NBA Sixth Man Award, averaging 13.5 points and 11.8 rebounds. Aguirre led the team in scoring for the sixth consecutive year at 25.1 points per game. Rolando Blackman scored his 10,000th career point. Both Aguirre and James Donaldson represented Dallas at the 1988 All-Star Game; Donaldson was the first center in franchise history selected to that game. The Mavericks beat Houston in four games and Denver in six before meeting the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals. Four of the seven games were decided by four points or fewer. The Lakers prevailed and won their second consecutive title.
The 1988-89 season proved to be a step backward. James Donaldson suffered a ruptured patella tendon on the 10th of March, 1989, ending his campaign and removing the team's defensive anchor. Dallas finished 38-44, the first losing record and first missed playoffs since 1982-83. The 1989-90 team recovered to 47-35, but on the 15th of November, only six games into that season, Roy Tarpley was arrested for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest. John MacLeod was dismissed and replaced by assistant Richie Adubato. Dallas swept into the postseason on four consecutive wins and was then eliminated by Portland in three games. That exit closed a decade of playoff basketball in Dallas. The franchise would not return to a winning record for eleven more years.
Sam Perkins left Dallas in the summer of 1990 to join the Los Angeles Lakers via free agency, and the players acquired to replace him were all late in their careers. On the 9th of November, the organization announced that Fat Lever would need season-ending surgery on his right knee. That same night, Roy Tarpley suffered a knee injury that also ended his season. The 1990-91 Mavericks finished 28-54, falling behind not just their peers but second-year franchises like the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Orlando Magic.
In March 1991, Tarpley was charged with driving while intoxicated for the second time and again suspended by the league. Before the 1991-92 season even began, he violated the NBA's substance abuse policy for the third time and was banned from the league for life. Brad Davis, whose back problems had become severe, was forced to retire in mid-January. Fat Lever underwent another knee surgery on the 29th of January, missing the rest of the season. Dallas finished 22-60.
Jim Jackson of Ohio State was selected with the fourth overall pick of the 1992 draft, but a contract dispute kept him out until the 3rd of March, limiting him to 28 games. The Mavericks opened the year 2-27. Adubato was fired on the 13th of January and replaced by Gar Heard. Dallas finished 11-71, the second-worst record in NBA history at the time; only the 9-73 mark posted by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1972-73 season was worse. Rolando Blackman, who had surpassed Aguirre as the franchise's all-time leading scorer, was traded to the New York Knicks for a first-round draft pick. Blackman had made four All-Star Game appearances during his Mavericks career.
Jamal Mashburn of Kentucky was the fourth overall pick of the 1993 draft, and Quinn Buckner was hired as head coach. Bobby Knight, who had coached Buckner in college, told him the only way to succeed with the Mavericks was to run the team with an iron hand. The roster, largely young, did not respond. Dallas started 1-23, fell to 3-40, and finished 13-69, tying the NBA's single-season record for consecutive losses at 20 games, a mark since broken. Buckner compiled the worst record ever posted by a rookie head coach in NBA history, a distinction that lasted until Bill Hanzlik broke it with Denver four years later. Don Carter concluded that Buckner had "burned too many bridges" and dismissed him despite a five-year contract.
Dick Motta returned. Dallas used the second overall pick of the 1994 draft on Jason Kidd of Cal, pairing him with Jackson and Mashburn to form what became known as the Three Js. Roy Tarpley, permitted back into the league after three years, contributed 12.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Kidd averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in his rookie season and led the league in triple-doubles. Second-year forward Popeye Jones averaged 10.6 rebounds and led the NBA in offensive rebounds. Mashburn contributed 24.1 points per game, fifth in the NBA; Jackson averaged 25.7 before a severe ankle sprain ended his season in February. On separate occasions that season, both Mashburn and Jackson each scored 50 points in a single game. Dallas jumped to 36-46, the most significant one-year improvement in franchise history.
The 1995-96 season opened but quickly broke apart. Tarpley was handed a second permanent ban from the NBA for repeated drug violations. Mashburn required knee surgery after only 18 games. George McCloud averaged 18.9 points per game and shot 257 three-pointers, tying the second-highest individual season total in league history. The team connected on 735 of its 2,039 three-point attempts, both new NBA records. Jason Kidd became the first Mavericks player elected as a starter to the All-Star Game. Dallas finished 26-56, and Motta was replaced by former Chicago Bulls assistant Jim Cleamons. Don Carter then sold the franchise to a group led by H. Ross Perot Jr., ending the only ownership era the team had known.
In the 1996-97 season, 27 different players suited up for Dallas, an all-time NBA record. Only rookie Samaki Walker remained from the opening-day roster by season's end. In December, Jason Kidd, Loren Meyer, and Tony Dumas were traded to the Phoenix Suns for Michael Finley, Sam Cassell, and A.C. Green. Finley would average near or above 20 points per game for at least the next seven seasons in Dallas and made two All-Star appearances. Don Nelson was hired as general manager on the 7th of February. Another large trade sent Chris Gatling, Jim Jackson, Cassell, George McCloud, and Eric Montross to the New Jersey Nets for 7-foot-6 center Shawn Bradley and three other players. Dallas finished 24-58. In 1997-98, the team went 20-62 and Nelson named himself head coach midway through the year. Two moves the following summer would prove to be the most consequential in franchise history.
In the lockout-shortened 1998-99 season, two arrivals that drew virtually no public notice set the franchise on a new course. Power forward Dirk Nowitzki and point guard Steve Nash joined the Mavericks that year, neither yet the player he would become. Michael Finley and Gary Trent provided the most visible production, including the team's first winning home record since 1989-90 at 15-10.
On the 14th of January, 2000, H. Ross Perot Jr.'s group sold the Dallas Mavericks to Mark Cuban, an internet entrepreneur who had also been a season ticket holder, for $285 million. Cuban transformed the franchise quickly and conspicuously. He allowed Dennis Rodman to live in his house for a week while the team considered signing him. The league fined Cuban millions of dollars across his early years of ownership for various rule violations. His investment in facilities and the arena experience helped set new standards across the sport.
The 2000-01 team found its footing. Finley, Nowitzki, and Nash formed an offensive combination that drove Dallas to a 53-29 record. Wang Zhizhi signed with the franchise in January, becoming the first Chinese player to appear in an NBA game. Nowitzki was named to the All-NBA Third Team, the first Mavericks player ever to earn that recognition. A deadline trade brought Juwan Howard from Washington, providing depth for a playoff push. After 11 years away from the postseason, Dallas beat the Utah Jazz in the first round. They advanced to the second round for the first time since 1988. San Antonio eliminated them in five games, but the franchise's direction had changed.
In 2001-02, the team replaced the old cowboy hat logo and green color scheme with a horse logo and blue, aligning its palette more closely with that of the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas went 57-25. The following season began 14-0, one win short of the 1993-94 Houston Rockets' record of 15 consecutive opening wins, and finished 60-22. The Western Conference finals that year brought deep frustration. Nowitzki suffered a knee injury in Game 3 of the Spurs series, both backup centers were unavailable for the entire stretch, and San Antonio took the series in six games.
Steve Nash had departed via free agency before the 2004-05 season, and the loss hurt the Mavericks' offense. Don Nelson stepped down as head coach on the 19th of March, with Avery Johnson succeeding him. Dallas finished 58-24 and lost to Nash's Phoenix Suns four games to two in the second round. Nowitzki completed a rare double at the end of 2005, winning both the Euroscar and Mr. Europa. He was also named the inaugural FIBA Europe Player of the Year. On the 15th of August, 2005, veteran guard Michael Finley was waived under a salary provision called the Allan Houston Rule. In the season that followed, Johnson's Mavericks finished 60-22, earning him the NBA Coach of the Year award.
The 2005-06 Mavericks swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the playoffs and beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in seven games, five of them decided in the final minute. Game 7 required overtime, and Dallas won it. On the 3rd of June, 2006, the Mavericks defeated the Phoenix Suns in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals at the US Airways Center in Phoenix, reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
In the Finals against the Miami Heat, Dallas held home-court advantage and won the first two games convincingly. After Game 2, Dallas city officials had already begun planning a victory parade route through downtown. What followed was one of the most dramatic reversals in Finals history. In Game 3, Dallas led by 13 points with less than seven minutes remaining. The Heat outscored them 22-7 in the closing stretch, winning 98-96. Nowitzki missed a potentially game-tying free throw in the final seconds.
Game 4 was a blowout in Miami's favor. In Game 5, Dwyane Wade scored the game-tying basket on the final possession of regulation and then converted last-second free throws in overtime to put the Heat ahead for good. Josh Howard missed a pair of clutch free throws in that overtime and also mistakenly called a timeout that cost Dallas favorable positioning for the final possession. Game 6 saw Dallas take an early double-digit lead before Wade scored 36 points and Alonzo Mourning added five blocked shots. The Heat won the series in six. Dallas became only the third team in NBA history to lose a Finals after leading 2-0, and the first since 1977. Mark Cuban was fined $250,000 for what the league described as several acts of misconduct during the series. Jerry Stackhouse was suspended for Game 5 for fouling Shaquille O'Neal on a breakaway dunk attempt.
The 2006-07 season appeared to offer retribution. The Mavericks went 67-15, one of the best records in league history, and Nowitzki won the NBA MVP award and his fifth consecutive Euroscar. In the first round, they met the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors, coached by Don Nelson, who had left Dallas to take that job during the same season. The Warriors targeted Nowitzki's vulnerabilities and dismantled Dallas in six games. The Mavericks had gone 67-12 against the rest of the NBA that year but 0-3 against Golden State. The upset stands as one of the most stunning first-round results in playoff history. The MVP trophy ceremony was held nearly two weeks after Dallas had been eliminated. The league was widely believed to have put distance between the award presentation and the first-round exit.
Rick Carlisle was hired as head coach on the 9th of May, 2008. Over the next two seasons, Dallas won 50 or more games each year but was eliminated in the first or second round both times. The decisive next chapter would begin not on a basketball court but in a negotiation on the 4th of July, 2010.
On the 4th of July, 2010, Dirk Nowitzki signed a new four-year deal with the Mavericks worth $80 million. Nine days later, on the 13th of July, the team acquired center Tyson Chandler from the Charlotte Bobcats, sending Erick Dampier, Eduardo Nájera, and Matt Carroll south. USA Today would later describe the deal as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. Chandler anchored the defense throughout the season and was named to the All-Defensive Second Team at year's end.
The 2010-11 campaign opened with 24 wins in the first 29 games. On the 27th of December, Nowitzki sustained a knee injury that stalled the momentum. Caron Butler suffered a season-ending knee injury four nights later. Dallas dropped seven of its next nine games. Nowitzki returned after missing only nine games, and the Mavericks steadied to finish third in the Western Conference at 57-25.
An analyst at Yahoo! Sports predicted the sixth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers would sweep the Mavericks in the opening round. Dallas won the first two games at home, then blew a 23-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 4 to allow Portland to tie the series. Back-to-back wins advanced the Mavericks in six. They then faced the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant and Nowitzki were meeting in the playoffs for the first time. Dallas won the first two games in Los Angeles, then won Game 3 at home with Nowitzki scoring 32 points in a 98-92 win. In Game 4, Jason Terry set an NBA playoff record with nine three-pointers on just one miss. Dallas swept the Lakers, winning that game 122-86.
Nowitzki scored 48 points in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, carrying Dallas to a 121-112 win. After Oklahoma City won Game 2, the Mavericks took three straight games, including a 15-point comeback in Game 4, to win the series in five.
Miami entered the Finals as heavy favorites. After dropping Game 1 in Miami 92-84, Dallas found itself in the fourth quarter of Game 2 trailing 88-73. The Mavericks went on a 22-5 run to close the game and even the series. Game 3 ended 88-86, Miami winning on a night when Nowitzki narrowly missed the tying shot. Nowitzki hit multiple critical shots in the fourth quarter of Game 4 to pull the series level again. Jason Kidd and Jason Terry both delivered clutch shots in Game 5, which Dallas won 112-103. Three nights later, in Game 6, the Mavericks won 105-95. Terry contributed 27 points off the bench, and Nowitzki averaged 26 points per game across the series, winning the Finals MVP. The franchise had its first championship, reversing the result against the same opponent from 2006 and retiring the label of soft that had followed the team for years.
In the off-season that followed, Dallas let Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, J.J. Barea, and Caron Butler all depart. The Mavericks won 36 games in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season and were swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. In 2012-13, Nowitzki missed 29 games recovering from knee surgery, and Dallas failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2000. The team returned to the postseason from 2014 through 2016 but was eliminated in the first round each time. A three-year absence from the playoffs began with the 2016-17 season. The next turning point would arrive in the 2018 draft.
Atlanta selected Luka Doncic with the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Dallas acquired him that night by trading the fifth overall pick and a top-five-protected 2019 first-round pick to Atlanta. Those two picks became Trae Young and Cam Reddish, respectively. Head coach Rick Carlisle described Doncic as "a guy that we think is a franchise foundation piece."
On the 31st of January, 2019, Dallas sent Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews, and two future first-round picks to the New York Knicks in exchange for Kristaps Porziņģis, Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Trey Burke. Dirk Nowitzki announced his retirement at season's end. His 21 seasons in Dallas established the longest tenure any NBA player had ever spent with a single franchise. Doncic won the Rookie of the Year award that same season.
On the 12th of December, 2019, Doncic scored 41 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and added 11 assists against the Detroit Pistons in a game played in Mexico City. He became the first player in NBA history to record multiple 40-point triple-doubles before his 21st birthday. Doncic was selected to the All-Star Game as a Western Conference starter. The Mavericks returned to the playoffs in 2020, their first postseason appearance since 2016. Despite Doncic's performances, Dallas lost to the Los Angeles Clippers four games to two in the first round. He was named to the All-NBA First Team.
Dallas won the Southwest Division title in 2021, their first since 2010. The following year, they reached the Western Conference finals in 2022, the first time the franchise had advanced that far since the 2011 championship. In 2024, the Mavericks returned to the NBA Finals, claiming their third conference championship in franchise history and winning another Southwest Division title. In February 2025, Dallas traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. The departure came less than a year after the Mavericks had reached the Finals for the third time in their history.
Updated
Common questions
How did the Dallas Mavericks get their name?
The Dallas Mavericks took their name from the television western Maverick, which ran from 1957 to 1962. Fans chose it through a postcard vote, with 4,600 submissions picking Maverick over the alternatives Wranglers and Express. James Garner, who starred as the title character in that series, became a member of the original ownership group.
Who founded the Dallas Mavericks franchise?
Don Carter, owner of a Dallas company called Home Interiors and Gifts, became the franchise's founding owner. He partnered with Norm Sonju, formerly president and general manager of the Buffalo Braves. The NBA granted their expansion bid for a fee of $12.5 million, with the team joining the league for the 1980-81 season.
When did the Dallas Mavericks win the NBA championship?
The Dallas Mavericks won their only NBA championship in 2011, defeating the Miami Heat in six games. Dirk Nowitzki averaged 26 points per game across the series and was named Finals MVP. Jason Terry contributed 27 points off the bench in the title-clinching Game 6, a 105-95 victory.
What did Dirk Nowitzki accomplish with the Dallas Mavericks?
Dirk Nowitzki, acquired by Dallas in 1998, won the NBA MVP award in 2007 and led the Mavericks to NBA Finals appearances in both 2006 and 2011, winning the championship and the Finals MVP in 2011. His 21 seasons in Dallas established the record for the longest tenure any NBA player has spent with a single franchise.
What happened to Luka Doncic with the Dallas Mavericks?
Luka Doncic was acquired by Dallas in a 2018 draft-night trade, with the Mavericks sending the fifth overall pick and a top-five-protected 2019 first-round pick to Atlanta. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2019, led Dallas to the 2022 Western Conference Finals and the 2024 NBA Finals, and was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis in February 2025.
How did Mark Cuban acquire the Dallas Mavericks?
Mark Cuban, an internet entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks season ticket holder, purchased the franchise from H. Ross Perot Jr.'s ownership group on the 14th of January, 2000, for $285 million. He immediately set out to revitalize the team and was fined millions of dollars by the league across his early years of ownership for various rule violations.
All sources
160 references cited across the entry
- 1NBA.com/Stats–Dallas Mavericks seasonsNBA Media Ventures, LLC
- 2Franchise History–NBA Advanced StatsNBA Media Ventures, LLC
- 3Frequently Asked QuestionsNBA Media Ventures, LLC
- 4Dallas Mavericks Reproduction and Usage Guideline SheetNBA Properties, Inc.
- 5NewsMavericks Chime in, announce partnership with new jersey-patch sponsorEddie Sefko — NBA Media Ventures — January 17, 2020
- 7NewsNBA Board of Governors approve sale of MavericksDwain Price — NBA Media Ventures, LLC — December 28, 2023
- 8Press releaseNBA approves sale of Mavericks to Adelson and Dumont familiesNBA Media Ventures, LLC — December 27, 2023
- 9Norm Sonju and the Birth of the Dallas MavericksCaitlin Clark — January 27, 2026
- 10Archive: A look back at the birth of the Dallas MavericksBrad Townsend — May 1, 2005
- 12Behind The Name – Dallas MavericksNBA Media Ventures, LLC — December 31, 2006
- 13The Origins of All 30 NBA Team NamesScott Allen — October 27, 2009
- 14In Metroplex, a tale of two MavericksDanny Woodward — ESPN — May 31, 2011
- 17In Texas, Winning Is the Name of the GameAugust 10, 1986
- 18NewsMavericks show Buckner doorSam Smith — May 4, 1994
- 20Mark Cuban's wish granted with one last fine before David Stern retiresESPN — January 19, 2014
- 21NewsWorst to FirstNational Basketball Association — April 9, 2003
- 23NBA.com: A Total TurnaroundBrad Friedman — National Basketball Association — June 20, 2006
- 24NBA.com: NBA.com Blog: Bill RussellNational Basketball Association
- 25Mavs' Nowitzki will receive MVP trophy next weekESPN — May 11, 2007
- 28Mavs give Carlisle a four-year deal as coachESPN — May 10, 2008
- 30Press releaseMAVERICKS: Official release: Rick Carlisle named coachNBA Media Ventures, LLC — May 9, 2008
- 31Howard leads way as Mavs grab first playoff road win since '06ESPN — April 19, 2009
- 32NBA admits referees' error cost the Dallas Mavericks in the final secondsESPN — May 10, 2009
- 33What grabbing Shawn Marion means to DallasKelly Dwyer — Yahoo! Sports — July 7, 2009
- 34Butler to Mavs, Wiz get HowardMarc Stein — ESPN — February 14, 2010
- 35Grading The Deal: Mavs Become Title Contenders With Butler, HaywoodChristopher Reina — February 13, 2010
- 37The most lopsided trades in NBA historyAJ Neuharth-Keusch — February 17, 2016
- 38Dirk: Chandler helps Mavs DJeff Caplan — December 20, 2010
- 40Trail Blazers-Mavericks: Game 5 will reveal psychological impact of dramatic Portland comebackJason Quick — April 24, 2011
- 41Lakers Vs. Mavericks Game 4 Decisively Ends L.A. DynastyRobert Dougherty — May 9, 2011
- 4476ers at MavericksNational Basketball Association
- 45Timberwolves at MavericksNational Basketball Association
- 46Mavs acquire four-time All-Star Rajon RondoDecember 18, 2014
- 47Luka Doncic headed to Mavs, Trae Young to Hawks after teams swap picksESPN — June 21, 2018
- 49Carlisle on Doncic: "We got a franchise foundation piece"June 22, 2018
- 50Mavericks sign free agent center DeAndre JordanJuly 6, 2018
- 51Reports: DeAndre Jordan Agrees To One-Year Deal With MavericksNational Basketball Association — July 1, 2018
- 53Knicks trade Kristaps Porzingis to MavericksNational Basketball Association — February 1, 2019
- 54NewsThe Mavericks offense has risen from average to elite.Jake Kemp — November 19, 2019
- 55NBA G League expands to Mexico City with a landmark partnership with CapitanesNational Basketball Association
- 56Captains LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo headline starters for NBA All-Star 2020Sekou Smith — National Basketball Association
- 592020 NBA Awards: Complete list of finalistsNational Basketball Association
- 62Dallas Mavericks season recapJune 12, 2021
- 63Mavs beat the CavsMay 8, 2021
- 65Rick Carlisle steps down as Mavericks coachNational Basketball Association — June 17, 2021
- 66Rick Carlisle says he won't return as Dallas Mavericks coach after 13 seasonsAdrian Wojnarowski et al. — ESPN — June 17, 2021
- 67Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson Mutually Agree To Part WaysNational Basketball Association — June 16, 2021
- 68NIKE EXEC Harrison Tabbed as Mavericks' New General ManagerEddie Sefko — June 28, 2021
- 69Mavericks sign Jason Kidd as new head coachEddie Sefko — National Basketball Association — June 28, 2021
- 77The Mavericks waive the white flag, sorta, as team sits key players against BullsJosh Bowe — April 7, 2023
- 78NewsCrypto Broker Voyager Digital Files for Bankruptcy ProtectionEliot Brown et al. — News Corp — July 6, 2022
- 79NewsCrypto Fail: Dallas Mavs' Mark Cuban Sued Over Alleged 'Ponzi Scheme'Simone Carter — Voice Media Group — August 17, 2022
- 80NewsTom Brady pushed crypto to his fans. This lawyer wants him to pay up.Steven Zeitchik et al. — December 14, 2022
- 81NewsInfluencers beware: promoting the wrong crypto could mean facing a class-action lawsuitRichard Lawler — February 18, 2022
- 82Mavs trade down in NBA Draft, acquire Dereck Lively IIJune 23, 2023
- 83MagazineOFFICIAL: Mavs Trade for Kings' Richaun Holmes, OMax Prosper; DetailsGrant Afseth — July 6, 2023
- 84MAVERICKS ACQUIRE WASHINGTON, GAFFORD TO BOLSTER FRONT LINEEddie Sefko — February 8, 2024
- 87Clippers eliminated by Mavericks from NBA Playoffs with 114–101 loss in Game 6Michael Duarte — May 4, 2024
- 88Luka Doncic & 'Kyrie Irving Chaos' Lead Mavs in Series-Clinching Game 6 Win vs. ClippersDalton Trigg — May 4, 2024
- 89Mavs secure berth in WCF, get to 'keep hooping'May 19, 2024
- 92Boston Celtics defeat Dallas Mavericks to win 2024 NBA Finalscbsnews.com — June 17, 2024
- 94Put the brooms away: Mavs avoid sweep with historic Game 4 rout of Celtics in NBA FinalsEric Mullin — June 14, 2024
- 95Splash brother is going to the MavericksDwain Price — July 6, 2024
- 96Mavericks sign MarshallEddie Sefko — July 7, 2024
- 97Ajinca is a 3-and-d player with lots of athleticismDwain Price — June 28, 2024
- 102Mavericks, Lakers Swap Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis in Stunning Late-Night TradeMike McDaniel — 2025-02-02
- 103NewsLakers trade Anthony Davis for Luka Dončić in one of the most shocking deals in NBA historyJack Baer — February 2, 2025
- 104NewsLakers trade Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic in shocking NBA blockbuster with Mavericks and JazzJack Maloney — February 2, 2025
- 105News'Crazy': NBA stars and pundits shocked by Luka Doncic tradeJason Abbruzzese — February 2, 2025
- 106NewsLuka Doncic to Lakers, Anthony Davis to Mavs in 3-team tradeDave McMenamin — February 2, 2025
- 107NewsMavericks GM didn't speak directly to Luka Doncic about stunning trade: 'Probably doesn't want to talk to me'Isabel Gonzalez — February 2, 2025
- 108Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont makes first public comments after Luka Doncic tradeBrad Townsend — 2025-02-09
- 109Mavericks win NBA draft lottery with 1.8% odds2025-05-12
- 111Dallas Mavericks – Chris Creamer's Sports Logos PageSportslogos.net
- 112Mavericks debut a new alternate jerseyTodd Davis
- 114Dallas Mavericks 22/23 City Edition Uniform: The MetroplexNational Basketball Association — November 10, 2022
- 115Dallas Mavericks 2023–24 City Edition Uniform: Mavs X BridgesNational Basketball Association — January 9, 2024
- 116Dallas Mavericks 2024-25 City Edition Uniform: The birthplace of American BluesNational Basketball Association — November 14, 2024
- 117Top 10 Coaches in NBA HistoryNational Basketball Association
- 119NBA postseason awards – Coach of the YearNational Basketball Association
- 120Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Enshrinees By CategoryCBS Interactive
- 123Dallas Mavericks Upset by Oakland UpstartsNPR — May 4, 2007
- 124ESPN – Dallas vs. Golden State Recap, May 3, 2007ESPN — May 3, 2007
- 130Spurs edge Mavericks to sweep season seriesMarch 15, 2013
- 135Donaghy points smoking gun at Rockets series, misfiresJune 11, 2008
- 136Chandler Parsons Calls Houston 'Dirty'October 8, 2014
- 141Bill Russell's No. 6 jersey to be retired throughout NBANational Basketball Association — August 11, 2022
- 142NewsNBA permanently retires Bill Russell's No. 6Ben Golliver — August 11, 2022
- 143Dallas Mavericks to retire Mark Aguirre's No. 24 jersey: 'This is home'Brad Townsend — October 27, 2025
- 145NewsAround the NBA1996-05-02
- 146NewsHICKS GROUP TRUMPS PEROT'S BID FOR MAVERICKS1996-04-14
- 147Perot sells Mavs to Internet mogulJanuary 21, 2000
- 148Mavs under Cuban: 10 wild yearsESPN — January 3, 2010
- 149Mark Cuban's sale of Dallas Mavericks unanimously approved by NBADecember 27, 2023
- 151NewsPatrick Dumont, Mavericks majority shareholder, gives his first interview as governorBrad Townsend — February 10, 2024
- 152NewsMavericks source: Longtime team president/CEO Terdema Ussery to resign todayJuly 16, 2015
- 156Mark Cuban denies having knowledge of reported misogynistic behavior within Mavs, vows to get it fixedEddie Sefko — 2018-02-21
- 161NewsThe Dallas Mavericks Report Largely Substantiates Harassment AllegationsMatt Goodman — 19 September 2018