![]() ![]() 845 from the line, 6th in the league.ĭerek Harper was drafted by the Mavs with the 11th pick of the 1983 NBA Draft. Brad Davis was 10th in the NBA in assists with 7.2 per game, and shot. Jay Vincent and Rolando Blackman contributed 18.7 and 17.7 ppg, respectively. Mark Aguirre led the 1982–83 Mavericks with 24.4 points per game, finishing sixth in the NBA. But the Mavs' 38–44 record signified a 10-game improvement from the previous season, and the fact that a third-year expansion team had even been in playoff contention at all was quite remarkable. They could not sustain this momentum, and finishing seven games behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. ![]() At the All-Star break, they were 25–24 and had won 12 of their last 15 games. In 1982–83, the Mavericks were serious contenders for the first time. The Mavericks improved to 28–54, getting out of the Midwest Division cellar as they finished above the Utah Jazz. ![]() ![]() Blackman contributed 19.2 points over his 11-year career in Dallas.īut it was Jay Vincent who made the biggest 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. By the end of his seven-year Mavs career, Aguirre would average 24.6 points per game. The Mavs selected 6'6" forward Mark Aguirre with the first pick, 6'6" guard Rolando Blackman 9th, and 6'7" forward Jay Vincent 24th. The 1981 NBA Draft brought three players who would become vital parts of the team. He spent the next twelve years with the Mavericks, and eventually his #15 jersey was retired. But he started the Mavs' final 26 games, led the team in assists, and his career soared. At the time, there was absolutely no reason to expect that Davis would be any better than the expansion-level talent the Mavs had. Journeyman 6'3" guard Brad Davis, who played for the Anchorage Northern Knights of the Continental Basketball Association, was tracked down and signed by the Mavs in December. However, the Mavericks did make a player acquisition that, while it seemed minor at the time, turned out to play a very important role in the early years of their franchise. But the Mavs started the season with a discouraging 6–40 record on their way to finishing 15–67. In the Mavericks' debut game, taking place in the brand-new Reunion Arena, the Mavericks stunned the Spurs, 103–92. 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 Perkins in 1984. Kiki Vandeweghe of UCLA was drafted by the Mavs with the 11th pick of the 1980 NBA Draft, but Vandeweghe refused to play for the expansion Mavericks and staged a holdout that lasted a month into the team's inaugural season. He had a well-earned reputation of being a stern disciplinarian, but was also a great teacher of the game. Dick Motta, who had guided the Washington Bullets to the NBA Championship in 1977–78, was hired as the team's first head coach. 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. There was some controversy at the time since the University of Texas at Arlington also uses the Mavericks nickname. James Garner, who played the namesake character, was a member of the ownership group. The last professional basketball team in Dallas had been the Dallas Chaparrals of the American Basketball Association, which moved to San Antonio in 1973 to become the San Antonio Spurs.Īt 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 name was chosen by the fans with 4600 postcards received beating Wranglers and Express. In 1979, businessman Don Carter and partner Norm Sonju requested the right to bring an NBA franchise to Dallas, Texas. This logo was created by Texas professional graphic artist Patrick B. History 1979–1981: Beginnings File:DallasMavericksoldlogo.pngĭallas Mavericks Original Logo used from 1980–2001 (script logo used from 1991–2001).
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