Do Dallas Mavericks win a championship with Michael Jordan in 2002?

Mavs in 2001-2002 season

When Michael Jordan was preparing to come out of retirement, the Dallas Mavericks were coming off their first playoff season since 1990. Dirk Nowitzki averaged 21.8 points per game in his third year in the NBA. A prime Michael Finley scored 21.5 a night. Dallas also had Steve Nash and Juwan Howard who were both 27 years old.

Don Nelson led them to 53 wins and the second round of the playoffs.

They were expected to improve in the 2001-2002 season. A 23-year-old Dirk would make his first All-Star team. Nash joined him. They both made the All-NBA teams as well. Dallas was 35-14 at the All-Star break.

They swung a trade on February 21 to acquire Nick Van Exel, Raef LaFrentz, Avery Johnson, and Tariq Abdul-Wahad from the Nuggets for Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway Sr., Donnell Harvey, and 2002 first round pick.

They would finish fourth in the Western Conference at 57-25. Dallas swept the Timberwolves in the first round before falling to the Sacramento Kings in round two.

The Los Angeles Lakers featuring Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal would top the Kings in the Western Conference finals and go on to win the NBA title. The Mavericks were strong. Would Jordan give them enough to top the Lakers and Kings?

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