Dallas Mavericks were a struggling franchise when Mark Cuban bought the team. They had been in the NBA for 19 years but made the playoffs just six times. He acquired the team in 2000. Their last postseason appearance was 1990, at that point.
Cuban partnered with Donnie Nelson and Don Nelson to turn the Mavericks around. The roster featured a young Dirk Nowitzki plus Steve Nash and Michael Finley. It was not long before the Mavs became an annual fixture in the playoffs. Dirk’s stellar run reached its peak with the 2011 championship.