By Joseph Anzaldua/reporter
Going from an 11-71 game record to multiple 12- and 13-game winning streaks, the Dallas Mavericks franchise has come a long way since 1993 and has been through many thrills and spills on the way.
Starting out in an already nightmarish way, the franchise was on its way to a horrible season. Contract disputes and injuries led to the Mavs’ depending on new players to take the team down the road. The players did not have the skill, talent or experience necessary to pull off a winning season.
In the 1994-95 season, the new Jason Kidd came in confident and ready to compete at a professional level.
“ We are going to turn this team around 360 degrees,” he said.
Kidd lived up to his words by turning the franchise around 360 degrees, which put the team back exactly where it was—at another losing season. Still, they did improve to a 36-46.
Over the next couple of years, Dallas went through a rebuilding stage and took part in many trades, including one of the league’s biggest trades of that time. Many injuries and trades occurred in attempts to improve the team in any way.
After much confusion in 1998, Mavs manager Don Nelson became the head coach—the first smart move to turn the Mavs into a winning team.
Dallas was then the home to rising stars, including Dirk Nowitzki, a player from Germany who proved to have much potential. The roster also included Michael Finley and Steve Nash, who led the league in free-throw percentage. The franchise found its first winning season since 1987.
In January 2000, a young man named Mark Cuban bought the franchise after selling his Internet company to Yahoo. Some said Cuban is the turnaround that Dallas needed. The Mavericks also played their last season at Reunion Arena as they moved to the new American Airlines Center with fashion.
Dallas made the playoffs and turned into a winning force in the NBA. Finley and Nash were traded, but that did nothing to stop the emerging team. With the new roster including Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier and upcoming All-Star Josh Howard, the Mavs made history and their first trip to the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.
The Dallas Mavericks were outplayed by new All-Star Dwayne Wade and lost the finals in six games.
The next season looked scary as the Mavs started with 0-4 but proved to the world they wanted the championship more than anyone by having the best record in the league and multiple 12-game winning streaks. Right now they are the best team in the league and the only team to have fewer than 10 losses.
Can Dallas prove to be one of the greatest turnaround teams in history? With a little under half a season to go, so far the Mavs are improving every game.
