Where to start
Explore the history
- SeasonsAll 46 seasons, game by game
- Former PlayersAll 376 former Mavericks
- PlayoffsEvery series, game by game
- RecordsBiggest games and career leaders
- Legends & AwardsMVP, All-Stars and coaches
- JerseysRetired numbers and who wore each one
- DraftEvery pick since 1980
- OpponentsThe all-time record against each team
- TransactionsTrades and signings, year by year
From 1980 to today
The eras of the Mavericks
1980 to 1990
The Early Years
The Mavericks joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1980 and played at Reunion Arena. The foundation came through the draft: Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman and Derek Harper, alongside point guard Brad Davis. Within four seasons, Dallas was in the playoffs. The high point came in 1988, when the Mavs took Magic Johnson’s Lakers to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals.
1990 to 1998
The Lean Years
The fall was steep. Dallas missed the playoffs for 10 straight seasons and hit the lowest point in franchise history in 1992-93, finishing 11-71. Jason Kidd, the 1995 co-Rookie of the Year, and Jamal Mashburn offered hope, but the team’s fortunes wouldn’t truly change until what came next.
1998 to 2019
The Dirk Era
On draft night in 1998, Dallas landed a 20-year-old from Germany. Dirk Nowitzki played 21 seasons, all with the Mavericks, and became the greatest player in franchise history. With Mark Cuban as owner from 2000, Don Nelson on the bench and Steve Nash and Michael Finley alongside Dirk, Dallas became a playoff fixture. Then came the first Finals trip in 2006, 67 wins and an MVP award in 2006-07 and, at last, the 2011 championship.
2018 to 2025
The Luka Phenomenon
Luka Dončić arrived in 2018 in a trade with Atlanta and was named Rookie of the Year right away. He holds the highest scoring average in team history and its biggest game: 73 points at Atlanta in 2024. With Kyrie Irving at his side, he led Dallas to the 2024 NBA Finals. In February 2025, he was traded to the Lakers in one of the most stunning deals in league history.
Since 2025
The Future: Cooper Flagg
With the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft, Dallas landed Cooper Flagg. Even in a 26-win season, he was named 2025-26 Rookie of the Year, averaging 21 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists, and he has already scored 51 in a game. He is the face of the next chapter.
NBA Champions
2011: The Championship Year
Dallas entered the 2011 playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the West, with 57 wins and few believers. Five years earlier, the Mavs had taken a 2-0 lead in the Finals against Miami and lost the series. Dirk Nowitzki carried that weight, and the Heat now had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
Alongside Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion and Tyson Chandler, with Rick Carlisle on the bench, Dirk tore through the bracket: Dallas swept the two-time defending champion Lakers, got past a young Thunder team and beat the Heat in six games. He was named Finals MVP and gave the Mavericks the only title in their history.
- First RoundTrail Blazers4-2
- Western Conference SemifinalsLakers4-0
- Western Conference FinalsThunder4-1
- NBA FinalsHeat4-2
In the rafters
Retired Jerseys
12
Derek Harper
15
Brad Davis
22
Rolando Blackman
24
Mark Aguirre
41
Dirk Nowitzki
Moment by moment
Timeline
October 1980
The Mavericks debut in the NBA
The franchise, founded that year, plays its first official game.
June 1981
Mark Aguirre goes No. 1 in the draft
The DePaul forward becomes Dallas’s first big star.
April 1984
First trip to the playoffs
Dallas makes its postseason debut and wins its first series.
May 1988
West finals against the Lakers
The series goes seven games against Magic Johnson’s Showtime Lakers.
June 1994
Dallas drafts Jason Kidd
No. 2 overall out of Cal.
May 1995
Jason Kidd is Rookie of the Year
He shares the award with Grant Hill.
June 1998
Dirk Nowitzki arrives in Dallas
A draft-night trade lands the 20-year-old from Germany.
January 2000
Mark Cuban buys the Mavericks
The new owner changes the culture of the franchise.
July 2001
American Airlines Center opens
The Mavs’ new home opens its doors.
May 2003
West finals against the Spurs
Dirk, Nash and Finley come within one series of the NBA Finals.
July 2004
Steve Nash returns to Phoenix
The point guard leaves in free agency and becomes an MVP in Arizona.
June 2006
First NBA Finals
Dallas faces Dwyane Wade’s Miami Heat.
May 2007
Dirk Nowitzki is named MVP
A 67-win season and a 50-40-90 shooting year.
February 2008
Jason Kidd returns to Dallas
A trade with the New Jersey Nets brings the point guard back.
May 2008
Rick Carlisle takes over as head coach
The era of the coach who would win the title begins.
July 2010
Tyson Chandler arrives in a trade
The center comes from Charlotte and becomes the anchor of the defense.
June 2011
The Mavericks are NBA champions
The first title, with Dirk as Finals MVP against the Heat.
March 2017
Dirk reaches 30,000 points
He is the sixth player in NBA history to get there.
June 2018
Luka Dončić arrives in Dallas
A draft-night trade with Atlanta.
January 2019
Kristaps Porziņģis arrives in a trade
The Latvian comes over from the New York Knicks.
April 2019
Dirk Nowitzki says goodbye
His last home game after 21 seasons in Dallas.
June 2019
Luka Dončić is Rookie of the Year
The Slovenian wins the award in his first season.
June 2021
Jason Kidd becomes the Mavs’ head coach
The point guard of the title team comes back to lead the club.
January 2022
Dirk’s No. 41 is retired
The number goes up to the rafters of American Airlines Center.
May 2022
West finals against the Warriors
The first conference finals since the title.
February 2023
Kyrie Irving arrives in a trade
The guard comes from the Brooklyn Nets.
June 2024
NBA Finals against the Celtics
Luka and Kyrie take Dallas back to the Finals.
February 2025
Luka Dončić is traded to the Lakers
Anthony Davis comes to Dallas in the deal.
June 2025
Cooper Flagg goes No. 1 in the draft
The Duke forward becomes the Mavs’ new hope.