11 Mavericks cult heroes everyone else should have loved

The Dallas Mavericks have the second-most wins in the NBA since 2000. Dirk Nowitzki is a massive reason why (subscription required), but do not underestimate their ability to find talent. The Mavs always struck out in free agency and made some regrettable moves. They overcame it by finding undervalued talent that complemented their superstar.

Every team has players that become legends to their fan base. It is not always stars. Some players have a story that makes it impossible not to cheer for them or never stop hustling and giving 100 percent on the floor. Other teams barely put them on the scouting report, but they are fan favorites.

Mavericks fans have several over their first 44 seasons as a franchise. From undrafted talents to surprise stars, Dallas has created legends that other NBA fans should recognize.

Dallas Mavericks cult heroes everyone else should have loved

11. Eduardo Najera

Najera arrived in Dallas in a 2000 draft night trade and spent the next four years with the team. The 6’8 forward’s stats do not jump off the screen, but that did not stop him from becoming a fan favorite. Najera was the first Mexican-born person to be drafted and his work ethic, hustle, and defense earned him immediate praise.

The Mavs traded him to the Warriors in 2004, but Najera returned in 2010. He spent just six months back in Dallas before being dealt for Tyson Chandler. In his five seasons with the Mavericks, Najera averaged 4.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.0 minutes per game.

Eduardo Najera came back to the Dallas Mavericks after hanging up his sneakers. He served the Texas Legends in several roles before becoming a Mavs scout. The 47-year-old is also an analyst for Bally Sports Southwest.

Najera was a fantastic teammate and one of the hardest workers in the league during his playing days. He was easy to cheer for and his play made him a fan favorite, but his minuscule stats kept him from gaining more recognition.

10. Seth Curry

Curry is on his third stint with the Mavericks. He went undrafted in 2013 and struggled to find his footing in the NBA. The 6’2 guard got an opportunity with the Kings where he showed enough to earn a contract from the Mavs. Curry finally broke out in Dallas and quickly became a fan favorite as he averaged 12.8 points, 2.7 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 29.0 minutes per game during the 2016-17 season.

He missed the entire 2017-18 season with a stress injury and left Dallas after just 70 games played. Curry helped the Blazers reach the conference finals in 2019 before returning to the Mavericks and helping them get back to the playoffs.

Seth Curry is one of the league’s best shooters. His career 43.5 percent from 3-point range ranks as the sixth-best in NBA history. He is an absolute bucket from behind the arc but never gets mentioned among the game’s elite marksmen.

Curry became a fan favorite because of his underdog story and elite shooting. He has bounced around the league and never got the love he deserves. The 6’2 guard keeps returning to the Dallas Mavericks in free agency because he feels the support from MFFLs. Injuries have played a factor, but Seth Curry can finally get his due by helping the Mavs make another deep postseason run.

9. Yogi Ferrell

Ferrell went undrafted in 2016 before signing with the Brooklyn Nets. The six-foot point guard was waived in October only to re-sign one month later. He was sent back and forth to the G League over the next month before being waived again on Dec. 8. Over 30 days went by before another NBA opportunity came along.

The Mavericks were decimated by injuries in the 2016-17 season. Deron Williams and J.J. Barea were both out, so Dallas signed Pierre Jackson to a ten-day contract only for him to strain his hamstring. They needed a healthy point guard, and Ferrell was playing well for the Long Island Nets in the G League.

YogiMania was quickly born (subscription required). The Mavs won their first three games with Ferrell, and he exploded in the fourth contest for 32 points on 11 of 17 shooting with nine 3-pointers made. It was a fourth straight victory, and this one earned him the YogiMania moniker and a multi-year contract.

Yogi Ferrell averaged 10.6 points, 3.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.9 steals in 28.2 minutes per game over 118 contests with the Mavs. He played in all 82 games the following season and remained a fan favorite, even as Dallas missed the playoffs for the second straight year. The Kings signed Ferrell out from under the Mavericks in 2017, and his career quickly fizzled.

It was not quite Linsanity, but YogiMania will always have a special place in the hearts of MFFLs.

8. Rodrigue Beaubois

Roddy B burst onto the scene with multiple massive performances as a rookie. He had a seven-game stretch where he averaged 16.3 points and 2.4 assists in 24.2 minutes each night in what was his first extended run. Ten days later, the six-foot guard dropped 40 points on the Golden State Warriors in just under 30 minutes as a legend was born.

Fans loved Beaubois. The undersized point guard was a walking bucket, and Dallas needed a young developing talent to get excited about. Roddy B. provided it, even if it was only for one year.

Injuries caught up to Beaubois quickly. He played just 28 games in his second NBA season as the Mavericks won the championship. The six-foot point guard never looked the same after a foot surgery in 2012. He played just 182 games in Dallas over four seasons, but there was a moment when he captured the attention of the fan base, which was not easy to do playing next to Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd.

Who knows what Roddy B would have done without the injuries? He was a special talent. His teammates knew it and attempted to help him adjust to the NBA. It did not go as planned, but Rodrigue Beaubois holds a special place in the hearts of MFFLs.

7. Dorian Finney-Smith

Finney-Smith became a fan favorite through hard work. The 6’7 wing went undrafted in 2016. He improved throughout his five-year college career, but questions about his jumper kept him from being selected. Dallas quickly signed him, and Doe-Doe stuck. He won a rotation spot during training camp and just kept improving on both ends of the floor.

Finney-Smith started as a defense-first option who struggled offensively. He was not a playmaker and shot 30.3 percent from 3-point range over his first three NBA seasons combined.

The 6’7 wing kept putting in the work. He shot 37.6 percent in year four before back-to-back years connecting on more than 39 percent from long range.

It was impossible not to root for Dorian Finney-Smith. His teammates loved him, and he had a blast playing for the Mavericks. Doe-Doe was always working and his personality was infectious. He spent six and half years in Dallas before being traded to the Nets in the Kyrie Irving deal in Feb. 2023.

Finney-Smith was a success story for the Mavs development team. Rick Carlisle and his staff helped him become a plus 3-point shooter, and Jason Kidd’s group was encouraging Doe-Doe to do more with the ball in his hands. The 6’7 wing always put in the work, but the fan appreciation for his game rarely went outside of Dallas. 

6. Devin Harris

Harris was the fifth overall pick in 2004 and arrived in Dallas via a draft night trade for Antawn Jamison. His speed, ball-handling ability, and defense shined at the University of Wisconsin, and the 6’3 guard had All-Star potential. The Mavs were in conference finals in 2003 and made four straight playoff appearances. They hoped Harris could help them get over the hump and win it all.

He instantly cracked the rotation and quickly endeared himself to fans. The 6’3 guard was traded to the Nets in Feb. of 2008 in the deal that brought Jason Kidd back to Dallas. Harris was an All-Star in New Jersey but found his way back to the Mavericks in 2013. He left again in 2018 only to return months later.

Devin Harris will always be a Maverick, despite playing for four other teams. He played a key role in the community, became one of the league’s best cutters, and a legend over his decade playing for the franchise. Harris remains with the Mavs as part of their studio coverage of games.

Devin Harris always gave his all on the floor and was a fantastic teammate. Even as his speed and play declined, the 6’3 guard became a locker-room leader and veteran presence that allowed him to play into his mid-30s. Harris always helped the Mavericks win, and that alone made him a cult hero in Dallas.

5. Josh Howard

Howard was an unbelievable athlete and would fit perfectly in the modern NBA. The 6’7 wing could guard the other team’s top scorer and was a certified bucket during his prime. The Mavs were shocked that he slipped to them at 29th overall in the loaded 2003 NBA Draft that featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony. Dallas had just reached the conference finals and was excited to add a high-ceiling young talent.

Howard immediately cracked the rotation and quickly blossomed into a star. He was a starter by year two and the team’s third scorer in their run to the NBA Finals in 2006. The 6’7 wing made his lone All-Star appearance in 2007 as he averaged 18.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 35.1 minutes per game.

Things quickly came apart for Howard. During the 2008 playoffs, he admitted to smoking marijuana in the offseason, which was the beginning of the end for the talented 6’7 wing. There was a second regrettable video, and the Mavericks traded Howard to the Wizards as part of a seven-player deal in 2010.

Josh Howard was electric during his days with the Dallas Mavericks, but the injuries and ineffectiveness saw him play just 67 games after leaving his first franchise. The 6’7 wing had immense potential, but he never fully realized it.

4. J.J. Barea

The 5’10 point guard out of Puerto Rico was never supposed to make it to the NBA. He went undrafted in 2006 after four years at Northeastern University. Barea earned a contract with the Mavericks and kept the spot with a strong training camp. He rarely played in his first two seasons, but became the backup point guard in year three. Barea worked his way into that chance and continued to improve.

The Mavericks needed Jose Juan Barea to win the 2011 championship. Dwyane Wade gave him credit for altering the series. Barea was guarding LeBron James and creating easy buckets at the other end. He played more as the series went on and started the final three games, which were all Mavs wins.

The 5’10 point guard departed for Minnesota after the championship but returned in 2014. He became one of the best pick-and-roll ball handlers in the NBA and a straight bucket. Barea had outstanding chemistry with Dirk Nowitzki and there were few answers for their two-man game.

J.J. Barea played his final game with the Dallas Mavericks in 2020. He was a fan favorite and legend throughout his 11 years with the team. MFFLs love Barea, and he deserves more credit for helping the Mavs win it all in 2011.

3. Jason Terry

Terry did not start his career in Dallas, but he will always be known as a Maverick. He was the tenth overall pick by the Hawks in 1999 and spent his first five seasons in Atlanta. The Jet was a starter in four of the five years. He averaged 18.3 points, 5.9 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 37.7 minutes per game from 2001 to 2004, but the Hawks never won more than 35 games and missed the playoffs all four years.

The Mavs traded Antoine Walker and Tony Delk for Terry, Alan Henderson, and a first-round pick in August 2004. The Jet was a starter for the first three years, including their run to the 2006 finals, before settling in as a sixth man.

The 6’2 guard won Sixth Man of the Year in 2009 but cemented his legacy as a Mavericks legend in 2011. Terry tattooed the Larry O’Brien trophy on his arm before the start of the regular season. It was the start of a magical run that ended with a ring.

Jason Terry left the Dallas Mavericks in 2012 and played six more years in the league for four different teams. The Jet was a key scorer and co-star for Dirk Nowitzki throughout his eight seasons with the franchise. He is a legend in Dallas and deserves more recognition league-wide.

2. Brad Davis

Davis was an original Maverick. The 1977 first-round pick by the Lakers played for three different teams in his first three years and even spent time in two other leagues. The 6’3 guard was searching for the right opportunity and found it with the expansion Mavs.

He was the team’s starting point guard through their first two playoff appearances in 1984 and 1985. Davis lost the starting gig to Derek Harper in 1986, but he was far from done in Dallas. He played seven more years with the Mavericks as their backup point guard and key veteran. Davis continues to work for the franchise as a radio analyst.

His number 15 was retired by the Dallas Mavericks in 1992. Davis played a crucial role in the franchise getting off the ground. He was a hard worker and a fan favorite in Dallas throughout his playing days. Davis always gave everything he had and it made him a Mavericks legend.

For the rest of the NBA, Brad Davis is a forgotten player from the 1980s. Few remember him helping the Mavs go from expansion franchise to contender. He has been the radio voice for the Mavericks for years, but Brad Davis deserves praise across the NBA for sticking with one franchise for over 40 years.

1. Derek Harper

Harp was the 11th overall pick by the Mavericks in 1983 and a crucial member of the team’s early success. The 6’4 point guard backed up Brad Davis for two and a half years before taking over as the starter in 1986. Harper was the team’s lead ball-handler in 1988 in their first run to the conference finals.

Derek Harper was a two-way force that never got the credit he deserved. He set up Mark Aguirre and Rolando Blackman as both became legends. Harp was never an All-Star, despite averaging 17.7 points, 7.0 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.9 steals in 35.7 minutes per game over seven years from 1987 to 1993. He was named second-team All-Defense in 1987 and 1990, but Harp deserved more love outside of Dallas.

Derek Harper is just one of four Dallas Mavericks to have their jersey number retired, and the legend remains with the team as their television analyst. MFFLs know the 6'4 guard for his elite play and outstanding broadcast skills. Consider him a cult hero because few outside of Dallas remember his on-court game.

Mavs fans are not shy about supporting their team. They have turned several role players into legends, but who is next? Stay tuned to find out.