Every NBA team’s Mount Rushmore
By Ian Levy
Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki effectively is Dallas Mavericks’ basketball. Set to begin his 20th season in Dallas, Dirk is a former MVP, a 13-time All-Star and the franchise’s all-time leader in numerous statistical categories. However, none of that really matters as much as him leading the Mavericks to their only title and the willingness he has shown to make financial sacrifices to help the team climb that mountain again.
Rolando Blackman joined the Mavericks as a rookie in 1981-82 and spent 11 seasons piling up points for the Mavericks. Blackman averaged 19.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for Dallas, helping lead the team to six playoff appearances in a span of seven seasons from 1983-1990.
Derek Harper joined the Mavericks as a rookie for the 1983-84 season and helped them kick off that run of six playoff appearances in seven seasons. A steady, defensive-minded point guard, Harper is still the franchise’s all-time leader in assists and steals, and trails only Nowitzki and Blackman in minutes played.
Jason Terry was Nowitzki’s wingman for eight seasons in Dallas and his clutch shooting and swagger (championship tattoo, anyone?) were huge factors in the Mavericks’ run to the 2011 NBA Championship. Terry made more playoff 3-pointer than anyone else in team history, and only Nowitzki scored more playoff points for the Mavericks.