Moody Coliseum is a 7,000-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, Texas (an inner suburb of Dallas ). The arena opened in 1956. It is home to the Southern Methodist University Mustangs basketball teams and volleyball team. It was also home to the Dallas Chaparrals and Texas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association before they moved to San Antonio , Texas, as the San Antonio Spurs . It was also later the home for the Dallas Diamonds of the Women's Professional Basketball League .
88-603: Moody Coliseum has been the home of SMU basketball since December 3, 1956, when the Mustangs defeated McMurry, 113–36. Moody has hosted Mustang Volleyball since the program's inception in 1996. It was also home to the Dallas Mavericks on April 26, 1984 , for Game 5 of their Western Conference Quarterfinal series against the Seattle SuperSonics , locally referred to as "Moody Madness". The Mavericks won
176-761: A LED scoreboard with LED signage around the arena. Cost of renovations this time topped the $ 40 million range. Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs ) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas . The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference . The team plays its home games at
264-453: A brand new $ 1 million video board was installed. In addition, in the summer of 2007, the hardwood court was redesigned, with a new color scheme and midcourt logo for the Mustangs. In 2013 major renovations were made for the upcoming 2014 season, their first in the newly formed American Conference and with their new coach, legend Larry Brown. Renovations include: new concourses, lighting, seats, luxury boxes, Wi-Fi capability, floor color scheme and
352-672: A former North Carolina Tar Heel , with a surprising range from the three-point line who would average 14.4 points and 8.0 rebounds in six seasons with Dallas. About this time, the Dallas Cowboys , once one of the NFL 's elite teams, began a slow decline that eventually saw them fall to 1–15 in 1989 . The Mavs were hitting their stride simultaneously and replaced the Cowboys as the Metroplex's most popular team. The 1984–85 team finished
440-726: A free agent with the New York Knicks . Danilović played in 13 games for the Mavericks before opting out of his contract and signing with Bucker Bologna . Müürsepp played in 73 games for the Mavericks over the next two years before leaving the NBA. Chris Gatling was the Mavericks' sole representative in the NBA All-Star Game, but he did not last much longer in Dallas. In one of the most massive two-team trades in NBA history,
528-566: A game better than the previous year at 44–38. Mark Aguirre led the team in scoring again with 25.7 ppg, Sam Perkins made the All-Rookie team, and Rolando Blackman represented the Mavericks in the 1985 NBA All-Star Game . The Mavs returned to the playoffs in 1985 but were not as successful as they had been. They won Game 1 in double-overtime against the Portland Trail Blazers in their first-round playoff series, but lost
616-443: A record of 28–54, falling behind even the second-year Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic . In March 1991, Tarpley was charged with suspicion of driving while intoxicated and was suspended again by the NBA. It got even worse in 1991–92 . Before the season even began, Tarpley violated the league's substance abuse policy for the third time and was banned from the NBA for life. The former Sixth Man Award winner's fall from grace
704-463: Is the longest currently running in North American major league sports. 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 1978, Californian businessman Garn Eckardt met Dallas lawyer Doug Adkins and mentioned he
792-411: The 1979 NBA All-Star Game weekend, NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien announced the league would add two new teams in the 1980–81 season , with teams in Dallas and Minneapolis . Once the potential Minnesota owners backed out, only Dallas remained. (The Minnesota Timberwolves would not join until 1989.) Through negotiations with general counselor and future commissioner David Stern , the expansion fee
880-487: The 1993–94 Houston Rockets (15–0). The Mavericks finished with a 60–22 record in the regular season, impressing fans and critics with their sparkling offense. Since acquiring the "Big Three" of Nowitzki, Finley, and Nash, the Mavericks were a Western Conference power in waiting. Finally, they led the team to the conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs . However, with the series tied 1–1, Dirk Nowitzki,
968-568: The American Airlines Center , which it shares with the National Hockey League 's Dallas Stars . Throughout the 1980s, the Mavericks were a perennial playoff team, led by All-Stars Rolando Blackman and Mark Aguirre . The team struggled during the 1990s, entering into a period of rebuilding. In 1998, the franchise's fortunes would change drastically with the acquisition of Dirk Nowitzki , who would become
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#17327823803211056-621: The Continental Basketball Association , was tracked down and signed by the Mavericks in December after a scout watched a game with Davis. He had to be convinced to play for the team rather than attend to his studies at the University of Maryland (which he was funding by playing for Anchorage). He would play for the remainder of the season after joining in December. Davis would spend the next twelve years with
1144-568: The Los Angeles Clippers for center James Donaldson , who would play for the Mavericks until halfway through the 1991–92 season . This trade allowed the Mavericks to have a steady hand at the center position lacking throughout the franchise's first five years. In 1988, James Donaldson became the first Dallas Mavericks center in club history to be selected to play in the NBA All-Star Game . Rolando Blackman represented
1232-473: The Phoenix Suns for guards Michael Finley and Sam Cassell and forward A.C. Green . Cassell would play just one season while Green played three, but Finley, who, after his first half-season in Dallas, went on to average over or near twenty points per game for at least the next seven years of his Mavericks career. He made two visits to the NBA All-Star Game and played in each of the Mavericks games until
1320-667: The San Antonio Spurs . Sonju and Carter tried purchasing both the Milwaukee Bucks and the Kansas City Kings , but disagreement on relocation stalled the negotiations, leading them to instead aim for an expansion team . The league was initially reluctant to expand to Dallas, given Texas had both the Spurs and Houston Rockets . The 1978–79 season was proving unprofitable (18 out of the 22 teams lost money) and unpopular (television ratings fell 26 percent). Still, during
1408-578: The Utah Jazz 's star Karl Malone . The Mavericks swept the Kevin Garnett -led Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2002 playoffs but lost again in the second round to the Chris Webber -led Sacramento Kings . But it was only in the next season that the Mavericks finally broke through. The team started the 2002–03 season with a 14–0 record, which was one win shy of tying the NBA record set by
1496-542: The following season , the team finally "clicked" and started to win consistently. Led by Finley, the Mavericks earned their first 40-win season since 1989–90. He was much helped by Nowitzki, who finally "arrived" in the NBA and established himself as a potent offensive threat. On January 14, 2000, Ross Perot's group sold the Dallas Mavericks to Internet entrepreneur and season ticket-holder Mark Cuban for $ 285 million. Cuban immediately set out to revitalize
1584-405: The lockout-shortened 1998–99 season , the Mavericks finished with a lowly 19–31 record, but Michael Finley and Gary Trent put up substantial numbers and led their team to their first winning home record (15–10) since 1989–90. Notable were the acquisitions of power forward Dirk Nowitzki and point guard Steve Nash , two seemingly unspectacular moves that would significantly impact the future. In
1672-663: The #1 spot in the Western Conference. However, they fell short of the title and had to settle for a fourth seed. Nonetheless, they once again achieved a 60–22 record, with Avery Johnson winning NBA Coach of the Year honors. They swept the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2006 playoffs , leading to a titanic series against their state rivals and the reigning NBA champions the San Antonio Spurs. Five out of
1760-503: The 11th pick of the 1980 NBA draft . Still, VanDeWeghe refused to play for the expansion Mavericks and staged a holdout that lasted a month into its inaugural season. VanDeWeghe was traded to the Denver Nuggets , along with a first-round pick, in 1981, in exchange for two future first-round picks that eventually materialized into Rolando Blackman in 1981 , and Sam Vincent in 1985 . In the Mavericks debut game, taking place in
1848-526: The 2004–05 season. Don Nelson was hired as Dallas' general manager on February 7. Within a week of his hiring, the Mavericks had released Fred Roberts and Oliver Miller . They then traded Jamal Mashburn to the Miami Heat for forwards Kurt Thomas and Martin Müürsepp and guard Sasha Danilović . Thomas did not play in 1996–97 and only ended up playing in five games as a Maverick before signing as
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#17327823803211936-545: The Denver Nuggets for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. But the Mavs' 38–44 record was a 10-game improvement from the previous season. Mark Aguirre led the 1982–83 Mavericks with 24.4 points per game, finishing sixth in the NBA. Jay Vincent and Rolando Blackman contributed 18.7 and 17.7 points per game, respectively. Brad Davis was 10th in the NBA in assists with 7.2 per game and shot .845 from
2024-561: The Heat to the win, with Nowitzki missing a potentially game-tying free throw in the last seconds. After getting blown out in Game 4, the Mavericks suffered another loss in Game 5 when Wade scored the game-tying basket in the final possession of regular time, putting the Heat ahead with last-second free throws in overtime. The tragic figure was Josh Howard , who missed a pair of clutch free throws in overtime and mistakenly called an early timeout, so
2112-453: The Lakers everything they could handle. Still, in the end, the more experienced Lakers prevailed, defeating Dallas in seven games on the way to eventually winning their second consecutive NBA Championship. Despite all the changes, the Mavs remained in contention. However, their season effectively ended when James Donaldson went down with a ruptured patella tendon on March 10, 1989, and missed
2200-405: The Lakers in the following season. The Mavs drafted Michigan center Roy Tarpley with the seventh overall pick, who would become a very talented—but troubled—member of the roster. The 1986–87 Mavericks team had their most successful regular season to date, going 55–27 and winning their first Midwest Division title. But despite the great expectations surrounding the team, they self-destructed in
2288-491: The Lakers via free agency and suffering injuries to practically their entire 1990–91 starting lineup. The players they managed to acquire— Rodney McCray , Fat Lever , and Alex English —were all in the twilight of their careers. On November 9, it was announced that Fat Lever would have season-ending surgery on his right knee, and that very night, Tarpley suffered a knee injury of his own, which ended his season. The Mavericks' season only got worse from there, and they finished with
2376-555: The MVP trophy ceremony. Traditionally, MVP awards are given to the winner in a ceremony between the first and second rounds of the playoffs. It is believed that the league opted to put some distance between the MVP presentation and the Mavericks' elimination against the Warriors. By the time Nowitzki collected his MVP award, nearly two weeks had elapsed since the Mavs were ousted. 1986%E2%80%9387 NBA season The 1986–87 NBA season
2464-401: The Mavericks and increase the team's popularity in Dallas and nationwide. His controversial moves (he allowed Dennis Rodman to live in his house for a week before temporarily signing him) and outspoken personality quickly made him a fan favorite in Dallas. They garnered the team much press in the national media. He has also been fined millions of dollars for violating NBA rules. In 2000–01 ,
2552-471: The Mavericks by exploiting match-ups and preying on Dirk Nowitzki's weaknesses. The Mavericks went 67–12 against the rest of the league and 0–3 against Golden State on the year. The Warriors were coached by Don Nelson , the immediate past manager and coach of the Mavericks. He had been appointed head coach of the Warriors in the 2006–07 mid-season. Nowitzki's winning of regular season MVP honors and his team's first-round exit created an awkward dilemma regarding
2640-531: The Mavericks improved further and finished with a 53–29 record fueled by Nowitzki, Finley, and Nash's offensive triangle. The Mavs made a trade minutes before the trade deadline that sent Hubert Davis , Christian Laettner , Courtney Alexander , Loy Vaught , and Etan Thomas to the Washington Wizards for Juwan Howard , Calvin Booth , and Obinna Ekezie . This move brought in fresh blood that secured
2728-573: The Mavericks in the 1986 NBA All-Star Game , hosted by Dallas at Reunion Arena. The 1985–86 Mavericks were second in scoring at 115.3 points per game, gaining their third-straight playoff appearance. They defeated Utah three games to one in the first round. In the conference semi-finals, they ran into the Lakers again, and L.A. defeated Dallas in six games. But four of those games were decided by four points or fewer, and Dallas won half of those, leaving Mavericks fans room to hope that they could finally top
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2816-637: The Mavericks nickname , had objections about a shared name but did not attempt any legal action. They joined the Midwest Division of the Western Conference , where they would stay until the league went to six divisions for the 2004–05 season . Dick Motta , who had guided the Washington Bullets to the NBA Championship in 1977–78 , was hired as the team's first head coach . The Mavs drafted Kiki VanDeWeghe of UCLA with
2904-424: The Mavericks sought retribution in the new season. After a 0–4 start, the Mavericks went on a historic run and posted a 52–5 record over their next 57 games. They finished the regular season with a record of 67–15, good enough to be tied for sixth place all-time, first in the league, and the number 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs . Dirk Nowitzki had a dominant season, further cementing his place as one of
2992-632: The Mavericks traded Gatling, Jim Jackson, Sam Cassell, George McCloud, and Eric Montross to the New Jersey Nets for 7 ft 6 in center Shawn Bradley , forward Ed O'Bannon , and guards Khalid Reeves and Robert Pack . Nelson claimed the trades were necessary because the situation in the locker room was unacceptable. However, whereas Cassell became a consistent floor leader, and Jackson, Gatling and, McCloud all continued to be substantial contributors to their teams for several more years, only Bradley lasted any time in Dallas. He would spend part of
3080-564: The Mavericks' defense became more vigorous, and they quickly qualified for the 2005 playoffs with an impressive 58–24 record. The Mavericks defeated the Houston Rockets in Round 1 of the playoffs in 7 games but then lost to the Phoenix Suns 4–2, led by former Maverick star Steve Nash . Before the 2005 NBA draft , the Mavericks had traded all their picks away and were left empty-handed. On August 15, 2005, veteran guard Michael Finley
3168-546: The Mavericks' offense, the new acquisitions strengthened the team defense. The run-and-gun style of former times changed into a more balanced style of play. At the All-Star break, the Mavericks acquired Keith Van Horn for Calvin Booth and Henderson, the latter resigning only days later. Nowitzki added his third consecutive Euroscar during this season as well. On March 19, longtime coach Don Nelson stepped down, and his assistant Avery Johnson succeeded him. Under Johnson's tutelage,
3256-551: The Mavericks, and eventually, his number 15 jersey was retired. The Mavericks also marked the first NBA team to have a good debut season, with 7,789 spectators per game. The 1981 NBA Draft brought three players who would become vital parts of the team. The Mavs selected forward Mark Aguirre with the first pick, guard Rolando Blackman ninth, and forward Jay Vincent at 24th. By the end of his seven-year Mavericks career, Aguirre would average 24.6 points per game. Blackman contributed 19.2 points over his 11-year career in Dallas. But it
3344-594: The Mavericks, with a 57–25 record and many sellout crowds. This season also saw a change in logo and colors, changing from the cowboy hat logo and green to a new horse logo and blue, almost on the same colors of fellow Dallas-based team, the Cowboys . Also, the team gained sleeker uniforms. Another blockbuster trade sent Juwan Howard , Tim Hardaway , and Donnell Harvey to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Raef LaFrentz , Nick Van Exel , Tariq Abdul-Wahad , and Avery Johnson . The Mavericks also made several attempts to sign
3432-412: The Mavs had to bring in the ball at backcourt rather than half-court for the last possession. In Game 6, the Mavericks took an early double-digit lead, but again, Wade poured in 36 points, helped by Alonzo Mourning 's five blocked shots, and the Mavericks lost their fourth game and the title after a string of botched three-pointers. Many Mavericks fans were stunned by the defeat. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban
3520-476: The Mavs trading Rolando Blackman —who by that point had surpassed Mark Aguirre as the team's all-time leading scorer—to the New York Knicks for a first-round draft pick. Blackman had made four All-Star Game appearances in his Mavericks career. Herb Williams joined the Knicks as a free agent. Fat Lever underwent more surgery and missed the entire 1992–93 season. Derek Harper was the team's only bright spot, leading
3608-405: The NBA again. Jamal Mashburn had season-ending surgery to repair his sore right knee, only 18 games into the Mavericks' schedule. The team's two remaining stars, Jason Kidd and Jim Jackson bickered throughout the season, though neither of them had trouble establishing his stardom. Jackson led the team scoring with 19.6 ppg, made 121 three-pointers, and was the only Mav to start 82 games. Kidd became
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3696-711: The NBA to Dallas as he studied possible new locations for the ailing franchise. While the Braves went to California as the San Diego Clippers , Sonju eventually returned to Texas. He was introduced to Carter by Mayor Robert Folsom , one of the owners and team president of the last professional basketball team in the city, the Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association , which moved to San Antonio in 1973 becoming
3784-644: The Western Conference finals on June 3, 2006, in the US Airways Center in Phoenix , and the Mavs advanced to their first NBA Finals in franchise history. In the NBA Finals, the Mavericks faced the Miami Heat , held the home-court advantage, and scored two convincing wins. After game 2, Dallas city officials had already planned the victory parade. However, in Game 3, the Mavs blew a late double-digit lead, courtesy of Heat guard Dwyane Wade . He carried
3872-470: The all-time worst record in NBA history (at the time, 9–73 by the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers ). But when Jackson was signed on March 3, the Mavs rallied, closing the season with a 7–14 mark, including two straight wins to end the season and finishing 11–71, the second-worst record in NBA history. Dallas selected Kentucky forward Jamal Mashburn with the fourth overall pick of the 1993 NBA draft and hired Quinn Buckner as head coach. Buckner decided from
3960-459: The all-time worst record in the league. But 5–9 records in February and April, coupled with Buckner loosening the reins a little bit, helped the Mavs finish 13–69. It was still the worst record in the league by far, but the Mavericks again avoided setting an all-time futility record. However, they did tie the NBA's single-season record for consecutive losses at 20 games (since broken). Buckner
4048-503: The brand-new Reunion Arena , the Mavericks defeated the Spurs, 103–92. But the Mavs started the season with a 6–40 record on their way to finishing 15–67. However, the Mavericks did make a player acquisition that, while it seemed minor at the time, turned out to play a significant role in the early years of their franchise. Journeyman 6 ft 3 in guard Brad Davis , who played for the Anchorage Northern Knights of
4136-633: The center circle and new chairback seats were built at floor level on the north side. In 1985, more chairback seats were added, this time in the west end. The original wood floor of Moody Coliseum was replaced with a new wood surface and new lighting was installed in August 1986. In 1996, the court was redesigned to mark SMU's entry into one of the premier basketball leagues in America, the Western Athletic Conference . In December 2006,
4224-530: The club's first playoff visit in 11 years. Also, Wang Zhizhi became the first Chinese player to play in the NBA, signing with the Mavs in January, along with Eduardo Nájera, bringing Dallas an international cast that included Canada's Nash and Germany's Nowitzki. Nowitzki was named to the All NBA Third Team, becoming the first Maverick receive an All NBA honor. In the playoffs , the Mavericks won in
4312-438: 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),
4400-429: The first Maverick to be elected a starter in the NBA All-Star Game and finished second in the league in assists and fourth in steals while averaging 16.6 ppg. George McCloud , who averaged 9.6 ppg in his previous year, blew away his career-high scoring average as the Mavs resorted to the outside shot time and again due to their lack of an inside scoring threat. McCloud averaged 18.9 ppg and made 257 three-pointers, equaling
4488-417: The first round against the Utah Jazz . They advanced to the second round for the first time since 1988. Even though the San Antonio Spurs eliminated them in five games, it marked a sense of optimism for Dallas in earnestly contending for an NBA title. This season was also the last in the old Reunion Arena before moving to the modern American Airlines Center . The 2001–02 season was an excellent season for
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#17327823803214576-512: The first round to the Chris Webber -led Sacramento Kings , a better defensive team. The Mavericks management had to re-evaluate their strategy. The 2004–05 season saw trades which (among others) brought in robust center Erick Dampier , combo guard Jason Terry , speedy rookie point guard Devin Harris , scoring machine Jerry Stackhouse , and defensive stalwart Alan Henderson . Although the loss of All-Star Steve Nash via free agency visibly hurt
4664-505: The franchise's fortunes immediately rebounded once again with the acquisition of Luka Dončić (who was named the 2019 Rookie of the Year ); 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 2020, the Mavericks sold out their NBA-record 815th consecutive game, dating back to December 15, 2001. The sellout streak, which includes 67 playoff games,
4752-455: The free-throw line, sixth in the league. The Mavs drafted Derek Harper with the 11th pick of the 1983 NBA draft . The 6 ft 4 in guard would spend the next decade with the organization, averaging 15 points and 6.1 assists. The Mavericks' in 1983–84 posted a winning record for the first time in franchise history, finishing 43–39 and second in the Midwest Division. The Mavs also earned the first playoff berth in franchise history. Mark Aguirre
4840-563: The game in overtime, 105–104. Less than 48 hours later, the Mavs lost Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals to the Los Angeles Lakers by 43 points en route to a 4–1 series loss. The Coliseum has undergone several changes in the past few years to modernize the facility. In 1980–81, the newly remodeled E. O. ("Doc") Hayes Memorial Dressing Room was opened. In 1984, a new scoreboard was installed over
4928-479: The game's elite players; he won his fifth consecutive Euroscar during the season and was named the NBA MVP at its end. Josh Howard was named to the all-star team. However, the first-place Mavericks were defeated in six games by the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors . This outcome is regarded as one of the biggest upsets in NBA history. The Mavs were exposed defensively, and the Warriors systematically dismantled
5016-437: The home court for the Mavericks was hosting a tennis tournament. The Magic Johnson -led Los Angeles Lakers , were next for the Mavs, and the young club fell short, losing four games to one. But a trade the Mavericks made in their inaugural season of 1980 paid off for them in 1984 because they owned Cleveland 's first-round pick, which ended up being the fourth pick overall. The Mavs used it to select forward-center Sam Perkins ,
5104-435: The league after three years and helped with 12.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. The tandem of Jim Jackson and Jamal Mashburn combined as the league's highest-scoring pair of teammates. On separate occasions, Mashburn and Jackson scored 50 points in a game that season. Mashburn contributed 24.1 points per game, fifth in the NBA; Jackson averaged 25.7 points but suffered a severe ankle sprain in February, which caused him to miss
5192-418: The next eight years putting up modest contributions for Dallas and giving them substantial numbers in blocked shots. Undrafted rookie guard Erick Strickland averaged 10.6 ppg. Along with Finley and Bradley, he was expected to be the core of this new Mavericks team. The constant changes made it impossible to establish any team chemistry in 1996–97, and the Mavericks finished 24–58. But they had acquired some of
5280-560: The next three games in a row, ending their season. Dallas had the eighth pick in the 1985 NBA draft —again due to a trade with the Cavaliers—and drafted German-born forward Detlef Schrempf out of Washington . He would show flashes of brilliance in his three-plus seasons with the team, but it was not until he was traded to the Indiana Pacers that he displayed his full potential. The Mavericks also traded center Kurt Nimphius to
5368-407: The number two pick in the 1994 NBA draft and picked up Cal point guard Jason Kidd , giving them a solid tandem of Jackson, Mashburn, and Kidd, known as "The Three Js." The addition of Jason Kidd infused the Mavericks with new life in 1994–95 . Kidd averaged 11.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists in his rookie season and led the league in triple-doubles. Roy Tarpley was allowed to return to
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#17327823803215456-511: The only owner the Mavericks had ever had, sold the team to a group of investors led by H. Ross Perot, Jr. The 1996–97 season was a year of transition for the Mavericks as they re-designed their entire team; 27 different players saw action for that Dallas team, setting an all-time NBA record. By the time the season was over only rookie forward, Samaki Walker , had remained from the opening-day roster. The first big move came in December, as Jason Kidd, Loren Meyer , and Tony Dumas were traded to
5544-510: The pieces that would help them start to turn things around in years to come. In 1997–98, despite a poor record of 20–62, Dallas had a knack for giving some of the NBA's elite teams a hard time to beat the Seattle SuperSonics , New York Knicks , Indiana Pacers , and Chicago Bulls . Against the Bulls, Dallas went on a 17–2 run to force overtime, where they won 104–97. Midway through that season, Nelson fired Cleamons and named himself head coach. In
5632-513: The playoffs. After hammering the Seattle SuperSonics by 22 points in Game 1, the bottom dropped out for the Mavs, as they lost Games 2 and 3 in close fashion before succumbing to Game 4 in Seattle . Following the unexpected early playoff exit, Motta, who had been with the team since its inception, shockingly resigned as head coach. John MacLeod , who had led the Phoenix Suns to nine playoff berths in 11 seasons, including an NBA Finals run in 1976,
5720-400: The regular season's remainder. Second-year forward Popeye Jones had a great year as well, as he averaged 10.6 rebounds and led the NBA in offensive rebounds. The Mavericks' improvement was dramatic. The team jumped to 36–46, 10th in the Western Conference, and only five games behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot. It was the most significant one-year improvement in
5808-416: The rest of the season. The Mavericks were left understaffed, demoralized, and disheartened as they finished with a 38–44 record. It was their first losing season since 1982–83—which was also the last time they missed the playoffs. The Mavericks returned to the playoffs in 1989–90 with a 47–35 record, but it was another season of off-court chaos. On November 15, only six games into the Mavs' season, Tarpley
5896-404: The second-highest individual season total in league history. Overall, the Mavericks connected on 735 of their 2,039 three-point attempts, both new league records. The Mavs finished 26–56, fifth in the Midwest Division, and 33 games out of first place. Motta was relieved of his head coaching responsibilities at season's end and replaced by former Bulls assistant coach Jim Cleamons . And Don Carter,
5984-420: The seven games were decided in the last minute, including a Game 7 that had to go into overtime, with the Mavs prevailing under the guidance of Dirk Nowitzki and an incredibly deep bench. The Mavericks were able to advance to the conference finals against former teammate Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns . The Mavs' defense and depth enabled them to take the series as they defeated the Phoenix Suns in game 6 of
6072-406: The start to be a disciplinarian on the model of his college coach, Bobby Knight , who told Buckner that the only way he would succeed with the Mavs would be to run the team with an iron hand. The mostly young roster did not respond very well to Buckner's stern coaching style and started 1–23. By the end of January, they were 3–40, and it was once again possible that they could tie the 1973 Sixers for
6160-614: The team in scoring for the sixth consecutive year with 25.1 points per game, and Roy Tarpley won the NBA Sixth Man Award with averages of 13.5 points and 11.8 rebounds. The season saw the Mavs' deepest playoff run to date. They dispatched the Houston Rockets in four games and the Nuggets in six, leaving only the defending NBA Champion Lakers between them and their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals . The Mavericks gave
6248-474: The team struggled with chemistry, the Mavericks comfortably qualified for the playoffs. With the trio Nowitzki-Finley-Nash and NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamison, the Mavericks continued their reputation as the NBA's best offensive team. Notable were two rookies, Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels , who made an immediate impact. However, the Mavericks were eliminated quickly in the 2004 playoffs , losing in
6336-495: The team with 18.3 points per game. The Mavericks selected Ohio State guard Jim Jackson with the fourth overall pick of the 1992 NBA draft , but he and owner Donald Carter could not come to terms on a contract for half of his rookie season. Jackson only played 28 games in 1992–93 , a season also ruined by trades, a coaching change, and injuries. The Mavericks started 2–27 and fired Adubato on January 13, replacing him with Gar Heard . The Mavericks came dangerously close to setting
6424-454: The team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Home court advantage does not necessarily belong to the higher-seeded team, but instead the team with the better regular season record; teams enjoying the home advantage are shown in italics. The following players were named NBA Player of the Week. The following players were named NBA Player of
6512-416: The team's history and the highest in the NBA. Many expected the Mavericks' improvement to continue with the franchise's first foray into the NBA playoffs since 1990. But despite a 4–0 start, the 1995–96 season was a disappointment about every conceivable way. For the second time in his career, Roy Tarpley was given a lifelong ban from the NBA for repeated violations of the anti-drug policy—he never played in
6600-661: The team's leading scorer, suffered a knee injury in game three that kept him out. This injury further worsened the Mavs' front-court depth problems (both of their backup centers were injured for the entire series), and the Spurs took the series in 6 games. In 2003–04 , two blockbuster trades were announced. The Mavericks acquired Antawn Jamison , Danny Fortson , Jiří Welsch , and Chris Mills from Golden State in exchange for Nick Van Exel, Evan Eschmeyer , Popeye Jones, Avery Johnson , and Antoine Rigaudeau . Another high-profile trade sent Raef LaFrentz, Chris Mills, and Jiří Welsch to Boston for Antoine Walker and Tony Delk . Although
6688-502: The third time a Mavericks player was suspended in the 2006 playoffs. The Mavericks became only the third team in NBA history (the first since 1977) to lose in the finals after taking a 2–0 lead. In Game 3, the Mavs held a 13-point lead under seven minutes remaining but were outscored 22–7 in the momentum-changing 98–96 defeat. The Heat's performance in the last seven minutes represented the team's most remarkable postseason comeback in team history. After an end to their playoff run in 2006,
6776-581: Was Jay Vincent who made the most significant difference for the Mavs in their second season, leading the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game and earning NBA All-Rookie Team honors. The Mavericks improved to 28–54, getting out of the Midwest Division cellar as they finished above the Utah Jazz . In 1982–83 , the Mavericks were serious contenders for the first time. At the All-Star break , they were 25–24 and had won 12 of their last 15 games. They could not sustain that momentum and finished seven games behind
6864-463: Was arrested for driving while intoxicated and resisting arrest. The team started 5–6, and MacLeod was fired, replaced by assistant coach Richie Adubato . The Mavs finished the season with four straight victories to surge into the playoffs but went down rather meekly to the Portland Trail Blazers in three games. It would be the team's last winning season and playoff appearance until 2001. The team endured numerous changes in 1990, losing Sam Perkins to
6952-400: Was complete. The few talented players the Mavericks had remaining to them were lost to injury. Brad Davis' back problems forced him to retire in mid-January, and Fat Lever had knee surgery again on January 29, missing the remainder of the season—hardly worth the cost of losing two first-round draft picks. The team finished with a 22–60 record. In 1992–93 , the rebuilding began in earnest, with
7040-407: Was fined a total of $ 250,000 for "several acts of misconduct" during the series, and Nowitzki was fined $ 5,000 for kicking a ball into the stands after Game 5. Nowitzki was also caught by TV cameras attacking a stationary bicycle in the hallway outside of the Mavericks locker room. Jerry Stackhouse was suspended for Game 5 after fouling Shaquille O'Neal on a breakaway dunk attempt. The latter marked
7128-467: Was fired at the end of the season despite having a five-year contract. However, Carter decided that Buckner had "burned too many bridges" due to his autocratic coaching style. He compiled the worst record for a rookie NBA head coach, a record that only lasted four years until Bill Hanzlik broke it with the Denver Nuggets . The Mavericks brought back Dick Motta, who had led the franchise to some of its most successful seasons. The Mavericks also wound up with
7216-465: Was hired as his replacement. The 1987–88 NBA season saw the Mavericks dip just a little bit in the regular season—finishing 53–29 and losing their Midwest Division title to the Denver Nuggets —but it was another successful year for the team. Mark Aguirre and James Donaldson both played in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game , the Mavericks rattled off a franchise-best 11-game winning streak, and Rolando Blackman scored his 10,000th career point. Aguirre led
7304-405: Was named the team's first NBA All-Star, as he finished with an average of 29.5 points per game—second in the league to Utah's Adrian Dantley . Dallas finished with the fourth seed in the Western Conference playoffs, and in their first playoff trip, they defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in five games. The fifth and deciding game of that series was played at Moody Coliseum , as Reunion Arena, then
7392-457: Was settled on $ 12.5 million. Carter would provide half the amount. At the 1980 NBA All-Star Game , league owners voted to admit the new team, with the team's name coming from the 1957–1962 TV western Maverick ; the fans chose the title with 4,600 postcards received, beating Wranglers and Express . James Garner , who played the title character, was a member of the ownership group. The University of Texas at Arlington , who also uses
7480-547: Was the 41st season of the National Basketball Association . The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their fourth championship of the decade, beating the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals . Notes Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games
7568-463: Was trying to raise capital to move an NBA team to Dallas. Asking for a possible partner, Adkins recommended him one of his clients, Home Interiors and Gifts owner Don Carter . Negotiations with Eckardt fell through, but Carter remained interested in the enterprise as a gift to his wife Linda, who played basketball while at Duncanville High School . Simultaneously, Buffalo Braves president and general manager Norm Sonju developed an interest in bringing
7656-537: Was waived on November 25, 2005. At the end of calendar 2005, Nowitzki achieved a rare double by winning both the Euroscar and Mr. Europa , a second prestigious award for the top European player. He additionally was named the inaugural FIBA Europe Player of the Year . Up until the very end of the season, the Mavericks were toe-to-toe with the San Antonio Spurs for the crown of the Southwest Division and
7744-502: Was waived under the new "Allan Houston Rule." Under that rule, the Orlando Magic waived Doug Christie , who then signed with the Mavericks. On August 19, the Mavericks held a press conference announcing they had re-signed Darrell Armstrong and introduced Christie, DeSagana Diop , Rawle Marshall , and Josh Powell as new Mavericks. Christie's playing time was minimal amid a surgically repaired ankle still hampering his play. He
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