The Dallas Mavericks have only won one NBA Championship but they have a ton of history as one of the Western Conference’s top franchises.
Along the way, they have produced some of the most prolific players in NBA history. While many of the players on the list below come from the modern NBA, there will be a few notable names from the league’s past as well.
Here’s our list of the 10 best Dallas Mavericks of all time.
10. Sam Perkins, power forward
One of the Mavs’ biggest stars in the 1980s was Sam Perkins. Perkins was coming off a national championship with the North Carolina Tar Heels when he was drafted by Dallas in 1984. He made the NBA’s All-Rookie team in 1985 and spent six seasons with the Mavericks, averaging around 15 points per game in his final five years with the squad. He would spend the majority of his NBA career elsewhere, but his time in Dallas was his most productive.
9. Jamal Mashburn, small forward
Coming out of Kentucky, Jamal Mashbun was expected to be the missing piece the Mavericks needed to win an NBA Championship. The former SEC Player of the Year averaged 19.2 points a game in his first season and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Mashburn averaged 24.1 points a game in his second season, sixth-best in the league. He would eventually become the fourth-youngest player to score 50 points in an NBA game and break various franchise records. Alas, he only spent four seasons in Dallas before they traded him to the Miami Heat.
8. Steve Nash, point guard
While Steve Nash is best remembered for his time with the Phoenix Suns, he played for the Mavericks between 1998 and 2004. During his career, Nash established himself as one of the best players in the league. The two-time NBA MVP, eight-time NBA All-Star, and five-time NBA assists leader is part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. Although he didn’t win an NBA Championship as a player, he played a very important role in helping develop Dirk Nowitzki into an NBA superstar while in Dallas.
7. Jason Kidd, point guard
Jason Kidd had two stints with the Dallas Mavericks, three if you include his current coaching run. Not only is he an NBA champion, but Kidd is a 10-time NBA All-Star, NBA Rookie of the Year, five-time NBA assists leader, two-time NBA Sportsman of the Year, and is part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. Kidd averaged 9.3 points, 7.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game during the Mavericks’ 21-game playoff run to their championship. At 38 years of age, he became the oldest starting point guard ever to lead his team to the NBA title. In his first two seasons as Mavericks coach, he has already led the team to a Western Conference Final.
6. Derek Harper, point guard
A name that was synonymous with Dallas Mavericks in the 1980s and 1990s was Derek Harper. Harper spent the better part of 11 seasons with the Mavs, averaging 15 points and 6.1 assists per game. Dallas went to the playoffs six times while he was there, including one Western Conference Final. Known as a great scorer and defender, Harper was a two-time second-team All-NBA Defensive Team selection. He’s also one of only three players in NBA history to increase their scoring average for eight consecutive seasons. Harper ended his NBA career with over 16,000 and 6,500 assists.
5. Jason Terry, point guard
Jason Terry started his career with the Atlanta Hawks but became a star with the Mavericks. The 2009 Sixth Man of the Year was a critical member of the Mavericks’ 2010-2011 NBA Championship team. That season, he averaged 15.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 31.1 minutes in 82 games. Terry ended his 19-year NBA career with over 18,000 points and over 5,400 assists.
4. Rolando Blackman, shooting guard
The first Panamanian-born player in the NBA, Rolando Blackman was drafted by the Mavericks in the first round in 1981. He made an immediate impact, averaging 13.3 points per game as a rookie. His best season came in 1983-1984 when he averaged 22.4 points and 4.6 assists per game. The four-time NBA All-Star held the franchise record with 6,487 field goals and 16,643 points until Dirk Nowitzki broke them. Blackman and Mark Aguirre led the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals in 1987-88 but fell short against the mighty Los Angeles Lakers. In 11 seasons and 865 games with the Mavericks, Blackman never fouled out of a game once.
3. Mark Aguirre, small forward
Mark Aguirre spent the majority of his 13-year NBA career with the Mavericks. He has the distinction of being the first player drafted in franchise history. During his time with the Mavericks, he averaged 20 points a game and was a three-time All-Star. Starting in the 1982-83 season, Aguirre had six straight years of averaging 22 points per game. His best season was 1983-84 when he averaged 29 points. He finished second in the NBA in total scoring that season with 2,330 total points. Aguirre finished his NBA career with over 18,400 points and over 4,500 rebounds and went on to win two NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons.
2. Luka Dončić, shooting guard
When Dirk Nowitzki retired, the Mavs went out looking for their next superstar and they found it in Luka Dončić. A unanimous member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team and Rookie of the Year in 2019, he would be selected All-NBA First Team and an NBA All-Star in all four seasons that followed. In a little over five seasons, he is already the franchise leader in career triple-doubles. Considered one of the best European players of all time, Dončić is well on his way to being one of the best NBA players of his generation.
1. Dirk Nowitzki, center/forward
The pick for the greatest Mavericks player of all time was an obvious choice. Dirk Nowitzki is a 14-time NBA All-Star, 12-time All-NBA Team member, NBA MVP, NBA champion, and NBA Finals MVP. The German power forward spent his entire 21-year NBA career with Dallas and was the face of the franchise for most of that time. Nowitzki is the highest-scoring foreign-born player in NBA history and still holds many all-time Mavericks franchise records. When he led the Mavericks to their first NBA title by defeating LeBron James and the Miami Heat, he moved into legend status. A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
