DALLAS MAVERICKS EXPERIENCE:
Founded: 1980
Location: Dallas, Texas
Stadium: American Airlines Center
Conference: Western Conference
Division: Southwest Division
Rivals: San Antonio Spurs
Owners: Mark Cuban
Coach: Rick Carlisle
Mascot: Mavs Man
Nickname: Mavs, The Mavs
Dancers: Mavs Dancers
Notable Players: Alex English, Steve Nash
Dallas Mavericks Championship Titles: 1
Dallas Mavericks Conference Titles: 2
Everything is bigger and better in Texas, including the basketball teams. Dallas is home to the Mavericks, a franchise created in 1980. Although it's a relatively new team, the Mavs have quickly made a name for themselves in the National Basketball Association with a number of playoff appearances and their first championship win coming in 2011.
The Dallas Mavericks are coached by Rick Carlisle, who was a proficient basketball player in his heyday in the NBA. His veteran experience finally paid off in 2011 after three years of coaching the Mavs, taking them to the finals against the Miami Heat. The team eventually won the series 4-2 after defeating the widely popular South Beach team, which had stars LeBron James and Dwayne Wade playing on offense.
Although the Mavericks seemingly coasted to their championship victory, things have not always been easy for the franchise. Throughout its history, Dallas has made a total of 15 playoff appearances. The team won division titles in 1987, 2007 and 2010, but took until 2011 to turn this success into a finals win.
The Mavericks have three players that retired and made it into the Basketball Hall of Fame after playing with the team: Alex English, Dennis Rodman and Adrian Dantley. Two numbers have been retired in the history of the franchise, previously belonging to Brad David and Rolando Blackman: 15 and 22.
Today, fans can find themselves cheering for the Mavs on their home court at the American Airlines Center in the heart of Dallas. Approximately 20,000 people can comfortably fit into the arena, which opened its doors in 2001.
The Dallas Mavericks boast a roster full of stars that helped the team bring the title to Texas in 2011. Notable players include Dirk Nowitzki, Brendan Haywood and Jason Kidd. Many of the current players on the team are arguably en route to making a case for themselves on the Hall of Fame ballot. Last season, Nowitzki averaged 23 points per game while taking the team to the finals.
See Also:
Dallas Mavericks Playoff tickets
Dallas Mavericks Season Preview History