DALLAS (KDAF) — The Dallas Mavericks 2022-23 campaign is off rumbling toward the playoffs again (hopefully). Sure, the season-opener was a bit of a disappointment, with the Mavs blowing a lead to the Phoenix Suns and losing 107-105. But there’s a chance that just further lights the fire under superstar guard Luka Doncic for the final 81 games of the season.
Doncic and the Mavs will look to bounce back in their home opener on Saturday, October 22 against the Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies.
The Dallas Mavericks have been blessed with some of the best ballers in NBA history. The league has seen plenty of sharpshooting guards over the years but Mavs big man Dirk Nowitzki can match up with the best of them.
This begs the question, just who are the Dallas Mavericks’ best players ever?
The North Texas franchise has been around since 1980, and in their time in the league they’ve amassed one NBA title from their two appearances in the Finals. Dirk and company were able to take down the prolific Miami Heat in 2011. That accomplishment gives him the top spot on our all-time list. Here’s the breakdown:
- Dirk Nowitzki
- NBA champion, MVP, 10-plus All-NBA and All-Star selections, the German-born big man is by far the best Dallas Maverick of all time. There may not ever be a better player to come through Dallas in terms of skill and what all he gave to the franchise during his tenure. He’s also regarded by some as the greatest European NBA player of all time.
- Mark Aquirre
- Firsts are always important and Aguirre was one of the first great Mavs players during the 80s after the franchise’s inception. He averaged over 20 points, nearly 6 rebounds, four assists, and a steal per game during his tenure with the team. Not to mention he was a three-time All-Star in the mid-to-late 80s.
- Rolando Blackman
- Again, firsts are important and guard play has always been a key point in any franchise’s history. During his time with Dallas, he was an offensive juggernaut as well as a four-time All-Star averaging nearly 20 points per game. His No. 22 was retired by the franchise.
- Luka Doncic
- It may be early to put him this high, but Doncic has taken the league by storm so it’s difficult to project him landing much lower. In his career thus far, he’s averaged over 26 points, 1 steal, 8 assists, and 8.5 rebounds. He led the team to the Western Conference Finals in the 2022 NBA Playoffs before falling to the Golden State Warriors. The future is oh-so-very bright for this young superstar in Dallas.
- Derek Harper
- As previously mentioned, guard play is huge in the NBA and Harper sure brought the heat in his play during his more-than 10 seasons with the franchise. He knew how to score, but more importantly, he was an excellent defender. His No. 12 was retired by Dallas.
- Jason Kidd
- NBA Champion, and three-time All-Star, Kidd was a prolific guard for Dallas. But he made several other stops on his Hall of Fame career. He now is the head coach of the franchise.
- Michael Finley
- An all-around great player who knew how to score, he played nearly 10 seasons in Dallas and was named an All-Star twice.
- Jason Terry
- NBA Champion and Sixth Man of the Year, Terry knew what he had to do in order to score the rock for the Mavericks and is next to Dirk as the most important player during the 2011 title run.
- Steve Nash
- Two-time All-Star and one of the most fun guards to watch during the late 90s and early 2000s, Nash was consistent with his scoring and knew how to dish the rock to his teammates. That skill set, which he also applied in Phoenix and Los Angeles, landed him in the Hall of Fame.
- Brad Davis
- From its inception to the early 90s, Davis was a mainstay in Dallas, while not recognized league-wide, he brought his all to the brand-new franchise. His No. 15 was retired by the Mavericks.
