NBA.com recently shared the rich history of the Dallas Mavericks’ four retired jerseys in the past 44 years. The Mavericks were an expansion team when they began playing in Dallas, Texas, during the 1980-81 NBA season. The Mavericks’ G League affiliate, the Texas Legends, was originally the Colorado 14ers from 2006 to 2009.
The Mavericks advanced to three NBA Finals in 2006, 2011, and 2024, but only won the Finals in 2011. The Mavericks’ most recent finals appearance was this past June against the Boston Celtics, who won their 18th NBA championship. But, despite a plethora of talented players over the years, Dallas only retired four of those players’ jerseys. Here’s what you need to know.
Dallas Mavericks’ Four Retired Jerseys
As NBA.com took a trip down memory lane, the Dallas Mavericks’ four retired jerseys include Point Guard Derek Harper’s No. 12, Point Guard Brad Davis’ No. 15, Shooting Guard Rolando Blackman’s No. 22, and Power Forward Dirk Nowitzki’s No. 21. Harper, 63, reportedly lives in Dallas with his family, where he works as a game analyst for the Mavericks’ locally broadcast games. Derek’s daughter, Dana Harper, was a contestant on Season 7 of “The Voice” on NBC. In addition, Harper worked as a weekend sports anchor at KTXA, an independent television station based in Fort Worth, Texas, until the TV station ended its newscasts.
Davis, 68, is the younger brother of Mickey Davis, a former NBA player who played five years as a Forward and Guard from 1971 to 1976. Brad’s married to Kelli Davis and the couple share three children: son Michael and daughters Erin and Cara, all with the last name of Davis. The 68-year-old retired from radio this past summer.
Blackman, 65, reportedly lives in Dallas. The 65-year-old currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Assist Youth Foundation, whose goal is to advance opportunities for underprivileged children in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and around the world. Nowitzki, 46, reportedly lives in Dallas’ Preston Hollow neighborhood. Nowitzki’s current job for the Mavericks is as Special Advisor, where he assists in the team’s hiring process for a new general manager and coaches and consults on various front-office decisions.
Former Dallas Mavericks Accomplishments
These four Dallas Mavericks players wouldn’t have had their respective jerseys retired if it weren’t for their career accomplishments. Derek Harper earned two NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors. Brad Davis recorded all 396 of his starts with the Mavericks. Rolando Blackman was one of the Mavericks’ first stars with four NBA All-Star nominations over 11 years in Dallas. Dirk Nowitzki was a 2011 NBA champion who earned 14 NBA All-Star nominations, one NBA Finals MVP, one NBA MVP, and four NBA All-NBA First Team honors.
History Of the Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks’ history dates back to 1980. The Mavericks have won five division titles in 1987, 2007, 2010, 2021, and 2024, three conference championships in 2006, 2011, and 2024, and one championship in 2011. During the 1980 NBA All-Star game, the NBA’s owners allowed the new expansion team, whose team name stemmed from “Maverick” on ABC. The fans reportedly chose the team’s name through 4,600 postcards received. The Mavericks defeated the Wranglers and the Express. The late James Garner, who starred as Bret Maverick in “Maverick,” was a part of the Mavericks’ ownership group at the time.
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