Dallas Mavericks: Justin Jackson and J.J. Barea kick off the school year

Dallas Mavericks players Justin Jackson and J.J. Barea greeted middle schoolers back to class on Aug. 19. See the Mavs duo here.

The Dallas Mavericks are focused on being a successful basketball franchise. They want to make the postseason and contend for a title. The Mavs also take pride in doing work in their community.

Justin Jackson and J.J. Barea took the initiative on Monday as they helped kick off the year for students from Dade Middle School in Dallas. Below is a video of both men speaking to the children.

It was not just the players, though. The Mavericks went all out for the kids. Mavs Man put on a show to get the festivities started.

The Mavericks have made this an annual tradition. It is always awesome for the students. They get a chance to meets their favorite players and increase their excitement about learning. That is nothing but wins for all involved.

Barea

The Mavericks made the J.J. Barea signing official on Monday. It was a formality that the front office would bring the Mavs legend back. Barea will be the last member of the 2011 championship squad still on the roster at the start of the year.

For the latest on Barea’s recovery from his Achilles tear and other Mavs injuries check here.

Jackson

It was fantastic to see Justin Jackson doing community outreach. He was traded to Dallas in February. Jackson played well down the stretch and will be looking to be a fixture of the team’s rotation this season.

He will be locked in a battle for minutes with Dorian Finney-Smith, Seth Curry, and Tim Hardaway Jr. Jackson needs to improve his 3-point shooting and defense to play 25-plus minutes per game.

Expect the Dallas Mavericks to participate in a plethora of community activities as the season draws closer. The Smoking Cuban will bring supporters all that plus analysis on the franchise that is one of a kind, so check back to the site often to not miss out.