The highly celebrated professional basketball team, the Dallas Mavericks has been enthralling sports lovers for over three decades now. The talented team has been able to create a loyal fan base in Dallas, Texas. The franchise competes in the Western Conference’s Southwest Division of the National Basketball Association. Establishing fierce rivalries with some of the top NBA clubs, the Dallas Mavericks are known to exhibit great agility and team chemistry during their games. Get ready to catch the competitive basketball franchise as they challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder, in an adrenaline pumping game.
Team History and Creation
The team was formed in 1980, when Norm Sonju and Don Carter requested the NBA to allot them a Dallas based franchise. Before the Mavericks, the last NBA franchise in Dallas was the Dallas Chaparrals that had relocated to San Antonio in 1973. After persistent efforts of Don and Norm, the residents of Dallas were granted their own local NBA team. The name of the newly formed franchise was selected after receiving over 4600 votes from the fans. The team was originally a part of the Midwest Division until 2005, after which they joined the Southwest Division.
Home Arenas
During the Mavericks’ early years, the team played its home games at the Reunion Arena, located in downtown Dallas’ Reunion district. The arena also served as home to Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League. Providing space for over eighteen thousand fans, the Reunion Arena served the basketball franchise till 2001, after which it was demolished.
The current home arena of the Mavericks, the American Airlines Center, is a multi-purpose facility situated in Victory Park. Constructed in 2001, with a cost of over five hundred and forty million dollars, the facility hosts basketball games, ice hockey matches as well as concerts. Catering to more than twenty one thousand people for a basketball event, the venue is one of the most popular entertainment arenas in Texas.
Rivalries
Some of Mavericks fiercest rivals include Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets. The team also shares long-standing rivalry with the Oklahoma City Thunder that started when the two giants came head to head in the 2006 NBA Championship Finals. Since then, they have faced each other in two NBA Finals, escalating the rivalry to another level. The Oklahoma City Thunder won the first NBA Finals clash of 2006; however, the Mavericks managed to beat the Thunder in the recent 2011 NBA Finals. Now, the Mavericks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder matches have become a highly exciting affair for all basketball fans.
This season, both the titans are gearing up for another exciting series of battles at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. The will surely be all the rage amongst the avid fans of both the clubs. So make sure to catch the adrenaline pumping matches live with your friends for a memorable experience.