Dallas Mavericks · Franchise era 1 of 5
The expansion team grows fast: the Dallas Mavericks story
Franchise era
1980–81—1989–90
The expansion team grows fast
Dallas Mavericks
The story in one sentence
Dallas drafted aggressively, reached the playoffs by year four and pushed the Showtime Lakers to seven games in the 1988 conference finals.
Aguirre, Blackman and annual improvement
Mark Aguirre, Rolando Blackman and Derek Harper gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the lost decade and triple j.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
Dallas grew from a clever expansion contender into Dirk Nowitzki's model of continuity, then handed the franchise to another singular European creator in Luka Dončić.
1986
Western Conference Semifinals: Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers
1988
Western Conference Semifinals: Dallas Mavericks vs Denver Nuggets
1988
Western Conference Finals: Dallas Mavericks vs Los Angeles Lakers
After 1989–90
What came next
A prolonged collapse produced a gifted young trio, but injuries and conflict prevented it from becoming a lasting foundation.
The core