Dallas Mavericks

Joined the NBA in 1980 to complete the Texas trifecta, had some early spotty success, then rocketed into title contention with Dirk Nowitzki’s drafting and Mark Cuban’s purchasing.

FEATURED LISTS

Trickle down effect: Six NBA team cultures that took on the personality of their owner

Some were just there for a good time, some wanted to win at any cost, some wanted to give back to their community, and some wanted to just bleed the franchise for whatever it was worth.

November 21, 2018June 12, 2026

Heart of the deal: 10 notable NBA franchise ownership changes

December 1, 2022June 12, 2026

No one believed in us: 14 biggest upsets in NBA Finals history

June 1, 2022June 12, 2026

Hollow trophies: 14 early playoff exits by reigning league MVPs

May 11, 2021June 12, 2026

Adding insult: 16 potential title teams whose season was derailed by an injury

October 11, 2019June 12, 2026

Hardwood ceiling: 25 memorable team eras that didn’t include an NBA Finals appearance

October 1, 2019June 12, 2026

Surprise and advance: 15 significant upsets in NBA first round playoff series

April 11, 2019June 12, 2026

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FULL archive

Going out on top: 17 notable NBA players who retired as champions

Whether they were a franchise legend closing out a storied career or a ring-chasing mercenary earning a title as a role player, these 17 players retired as NBA champions.

June 1, 2026June 11, 2026

Moral support: 26 notable NBA champions who were not on the playoff roster

Not all of them earned (or accepted) a ring for their efforts, but these 26 players contributed to an eventual champion, though only in the regular season.

May 1, 2026June 3, 2026

Foundational pieces: 30 notable NBA expansion draft picks

Utilized to seed the roster of new franchises, expansion drafts have been staged 11 times in NBA history, starting with the Chicago Packers in 1961 and most recently with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004. These are the most notable selections in expansion draft history, from flops to revivals to impending franchise cornerstones.

October 1, 2025June 12, 2026

Branded crews: 15 collective basketball nicknames

From Run-TMC to the Splash Brothers and Showtime to the Fab Five, we run down the most memorable basketball nicknames that applied to multiple teammates

April 21, 2025June 12, 2026

Foregone conclusion: 10 playoff series that were considered “virtual” NBA Finals

It’s the NBA Finals that technically decides the league’s champion from year to year but here are 10 times that series seemed like a foregone conclusion and the “true” Finals took place earlier in the postseason.

May 11, 2024June 12, 2026

Slamming the door shut: 19 winner-take-all NBA playoff game blowouts

As the old adage goes, anything can happen in a winner-take-all playoff game, and what transpired in these 19 examples were absolute decimations, leaving the losing team not just eliminated but usually questioning themselves heading into the offseason.

April 21, 2024June 12, 2026

Get in loser, we’re winning a title: Nine in-season free agent signees of NBA champs

Whether they were scooped off waivers, lured from retirement, or snatched from a secondary pro league, these nine players were signed late in the season and then came up huge for a team on its way to an NBA championship.

April 1, 2023June 8, 2026

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss: 22 NBA coaches who had multiple stints with the same franchise

Following their firing, re-signing, retiring, or demotion, these 22 coaches came back to the same NBA franchise a second time, often inexplicably and usually with diminishing returns.

December 11, 2022June 12, 2026

Heart of the deal: 10 notable NBA franchise ownership changes

An NBA franchise changing hands in ownership is often a seamless and relatively mundane event but in these 10 cases, it was a watershed moment, either by virtue of its novelty, its sale price, and/or its impact on the future of the franchise and the league itself.

December 1, 2022June 12, 2026

No one believed in us: 14 biggest upsets in NBA Finals history

NBA playoff tradition is that the better team typically wins, but in these 14 NBA Finals series, the lesser team on paper managed to pull off a stunner.

June 1, 2022June 12, 2026

Hollow trophies: 14 early playoff exits by reigning league MVPs

The reigning MVP has led their team to the NBA or ABA championship 26 times in the history of the two leagues. But in these 15 examples, the ultimate regular season honor was sullied by subsequent postseason disappointment. Can Nikola Jokic avoid a similar fate in 2021?

May 11, 2021June 12, 2026

Bone dry: 15 all-time longest NBA franchise playoff droughts

With the Suns and possibly Knicks set to break long-time postseason absence streaks in 2021, we take a look at the lengthiest playoff droughts in NBA history.

February 11, 2021June 12, 2026

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