2011 NBA championDallas Mavericks

(Reuters) - Factbox on the Dallas
Mavericks, who beat the
favoured Miami Heat on Sunday
for their first NBA championship.
* The Mavericks were admitted to
the NBA in 1980. Dallas had
previously played host to the
Chaparrals in the now-defunct
American Basketball Association
but they moved to San Antonio
in 1973 and became the San
Antonio Spurs.
* The Mavericks were initially
placed in the Western
Conference's Midwest Division
and failed to make the playoffs in
each of their first three seasons.
* They made the playoffs six
times in seven seasons from 1984
and won their first divisional title
in 1987, but went through a lean
streak in the 1990s, failing to
reach the playoffs for an entire
decade.
* Boosted by the signings of Dirk
Nowitzki, Michael Finley and
Steve Nash, they ended their long
drought and returned to the
playoffs in 2001. They have made
them every year since.
* In 2004-05, they moved to the
newly created Southeast Division
and enjoyed even greater success
after Avery Johnson took over as
head coach.
* In 2006, Dallas won the
Western Conference for the first
time but lost the NBA
Championship final to Miami
Heat 4-2 after leading 2-0.
* The Mavericks won the
divisional title the next season
and again in 2010 before winning
a second Western Conference
championship this season.
* Rick Carlisle, who won an NBA
Championship in 1986 as a player
for the Boston Celtics, took over
as head coach in 2008.
* During the 2010-11 regular
season, the Mavericks finished
third in their conference with 57
wins and 25 losses.
* They beat the Portland Trail
Blazers 4-2 in the first round of
playoffs, the defending NBA
champion Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
in the semi-finals and the
Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 in
the Conference final.
* Owned by Mark Cuban, who
purchased the team in 2000.

Source:news.yahoo.com