The Dallas Mavericks finished 3rd in the brutal Southwest Division in the 2008-09 season and made it to the Western Conference Semifinals before being knocked out by the Nuggets. They are starting the 2009-10 season ready to play small and fast, having retained Jason Kidd and picking up Kris Humphries, Rodrigue Beaubois, Quinton Ross, Tim Thomas, Drew Gooden and Shawn Marion. The Mavs are predicted to reach the playoffs at the very least, and if this aging team’s health can hold, expect their run to go deep. American Airlines Center is always packed, so if you want to see the Dallas Mavericks live and in person, get your tickets today!

Professional basketball arrived in Dallas in 1980 when the NBA granted an expansion team franchise to real estate developer Donald J. Carter. The Mavericks began NBA play in the 1980-81 season. After a dismal debut season, typical for an expansion club, the Mavericks' administration soon built a competitive team. The Mavericks' draft picks in their first seven years yielded talented players such as guards Rolando Blackman and Derek Harper; forwards Mark Aguirre, Detlef Schrempf, and Roy Tarpley; and center Sam Perkins. However, the Mavs fell off during the 1990's, and they fell under the radar. In a city known for its football fans and the Dallas Cowboys, who play in Cowboys Stadium, the Dallas Mavericks were all but forgotten.