Quick Intro: Dallas Mavericks History

The history of the Dallas Mavericks starts with a millionaire named Donald Carter and founding President Norm Sonju, a naming contest and an opening season in 1980-81. Since then, the Dallas Mavericks have experienced good seasons along with some not so good seasons, three division titles and a conference championship. The Mavericks have progressed to becoming the seventh most valuable basketball franchise in the United States, according to Forbes Magazine.

The Beginning In 1979, Donald Carter and Norm Sonju sought to obtain a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise. A radio contest hosted by WPAB in order to “Name the Team” garnered over 4,600 entries and was submitted to a five-person committee for consideration. The choices were narrowed down to three names with "Mavericks" being the unanimous recommendation to Donald Carter. The 1980 NBA All-Star Game league owners voted in favor of the Texas franchise granting Carter entry into the 1980-81 season for a $12 million entry fee and a place in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.

Evolution Opening season for the Dallas Mavericks began beautifully but ended in disappointment. With an inexperienced team, the Mavericks won their first game against the San Antonio Spurs only to end the season with only fifteen wins against 67 losses. After a couple of seasons filled with successes and failures, the Dallas Mavericks found their rhythm finding themselves playing better averaging more wins than losses. In 1987, the Mavericks took the division title and proceeded to go up against the Los Angeles Lakers in an effort to play in the NBA Finals. Regrettably, the Mavericks lost to Lakers in the deciding game, 117-102.

Over the next several seasons, the Dallas Mavericks gained more experience, added more adept players and learned through mistakes. In 2006, the team took the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns in a 102-93 win, taking them to the NBA Finals for the first time. The Mavericks did not win the NBA Finals, but gained the knowledge to take their team to the next level of cohesive play. The following season left them with a division title win but without a second chance at the playoffs. In 2010, the Dallas Mavericks once again gained the division title after the San Antonio Spurs lost to Memphis.

Continuation The Dallas Mavericks have become a team to be reckoned with. The Texas-based franchise is among the top ten most respected and esteemed teams of the NBA. The future appears to hold great things for this ambitious team and their owner.

References:

National Basketball Association

Forbes