Camila Sosa
Here is the ranking of the 5 best players of the Dallas Mavericks in the history of the organization since its creation in 1980.
Having gotten off on the right foot during their induction into the NBA, the Mavs franchise entered one of the longest rebuilding periods in league history. However, it would have been worth it because they had their first win at the beginning of the last decade, and since then they have become one of the most attractive teams for any free agent. On this occasion we bring the list of the 5 most important players in the history of the Dallas franchise.
5.- Luka Dončić
One of the current members of the organization, the Serbian has become one of the best players in the entire NBA and it is only a matter of time before he can win his first MVP award at the young age of 23.
Dončić came to Dallas during the 2018 draft, having traded the fifth overall pick in the draft (which would be used on Trae Young) and an additional pick for 2019, for the 1999-born youngster, who was picked third overall in the draft, by the Atlanta Hawks.
Since then Luka has become a total revelation in the NBA, and the Mavericks have become contenders again thanks to his impressive talent, in just 3 full seasons he has achieved 2 All-Star Game selections, 2 All-NBA quintets, he is the Mavs all-time leader in triple doubles, and he also got the Rookie of the Year award in 2019, averaging in those 3 campaigns 28.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1 steal and 2.9 three pointers (at 33% efficiency). Luka is destined to be one of the most important players in Dallas history.
4.- Mark Aguirre
One of the most emblematic scoring figures in the origins of the franchise, Aguirre was selected as the first overall pick in the 1981 draft and became an immediate contributor to the team, averaging 18.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his debut season. In his 8 full years with the Mavs, he averaged a total of 24.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists, earning 3 All-Star Game selections and taking the first significant steps for the organization in the playoffs.
Aguirre is the third leading scorer in Mavs history, with 13,930 points, and sixth in rebounds (3,244), ninth in steals (502), and tenth in assists (2,163). Unfortunately, the Mavericks never made it to the NBA Finals with him as part of the team, and he would end up being traded to the Detroit Pistons because of his poor relationship with the rest of the roster and coaching staff.
3.- Rolando Blackman
The first Panamanian player in NBA history was selected as the ninth overall pick in the 1981 draft, and the shooting guard immediately became a vital part of the team. Blackman led the Mavericks to their first postseason appearance during the 1983-1984 campaign, accumulated 4 All-Star Game selections and finished his time with Dallas after 11 seasons, averaging 19.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists in 980 games.
The number 25 was retired in his honor within the organization, and he continues to rank second as the franchise’s leading scorer (with 16,643), sixth in assists (2,748) and seventh in steals (668).
2.- Jason Kidd
Although his best years in terms of numbers came with the New Jersey Nets, Kidd had his greatest success with the Mavericks, who were the first team in his career to be selected in the 1994 draft with the second overall pick. Still demonstrating his great talent and being selected to his first All-Star Game in the second season of his short career, due to chemistry problems within the team, Kidd was traded to the Phoenix Suns in the 1996-1997 season to end his first cycle with Dallas.
He would return to the team 10 years later, being traded to the Nets in the 2007-2008 season, and would be one of the key players on the Mavs team that would win the NBA championship (the first and only championship in history for both Dallas and Kidd) in the 2010-2011 season against the Miami Heat of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
In a total of eight seasons in his 19 years as a professional, Kidd averaged 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.9 steals in 500 games with the Mavericks, and ranks third in assists (4,211), steals (954) and tenth in rebounds (2,755). He is currently the head coach of the Mavericks in the 2021-2022 campaign.
1.- Dirk Nowitzki
Undoubtedly there was no more important player in the history of the Mavericks franchise than Dirk Nowitzki himself. The German came as the ninth overall pick in the 1998 draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, who traded him to Dallas for the sixth overall pick, Robert Traylor, and Pat Garrity, the 19th pick in the same draft.
This was perhaps the best transaction in the team’s history, as Nowitzki became the best European player in league history so far, and is the all-time leader in almost every statistical category for the franchise, after playing 21 seasons with them (the only player in NBA history to play that many seasons with just one team).
Dirk earned one MVP award, 14 All-Star Game selections, 12 All-NBA quintets, and the MVP of the 2010-2011 Finals, where the Mavs won their first championship against the Miami Heat of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in one of the least expected Finals in history.
After having a very tough rookie season, where he was criticized by the Dallas fans and the media, Nowitzki raised his level with each passing year, and left one of the most legendary legacies in the entire NBA, a born scorer and incredibly versatile, which is why he ranks sixth among players with the most points in league history (31,560 total). 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 three-pointers on 38% efficiency were the 21-year career averages for the German with the Mavericks.
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