3 Dallas Mavericks legends who need their number retired immediately

Throughout their 44 seasons of existence, the Dallas Mavericks have had a pretty storied run as a franchise, as the Mavericks have surmised a .500 winning percentage or better in 26 of those 44 seasons.

That's not to say that the Mavericks haven't had their rough patches as a franchise as well though, as the 1990's and late 2010's were definitely some tough times for Mavericks fans.

However, not every NBA franchise can claim to have won a championship or can boast having been to the NBA Finals on three separate occasions, so the Mavericks have inevitably had players that should be accredited for taking the franchise to new heights, especially since Dallas started as a mere expansion franchise back in 1980.

3 Dallas Mavericks legends who need their number retired immediately

The Mavericks were more of an afterthought when they first arrived in Dallas, as the city was coined a football town because of the Dallas Cowboys' early success, but as we sit here in 2024, the Mavericks are debatably the premiere sports franchise in the DFW area at the moment.

Taking that all into account, the Mavericks have only retired four player's numbers in their franchise history, which is ludicrous when you take into consideration the totality of the Mavericks' history.

There are several players who deserve to have their number retired, and this could be something they start to do soon.

3. Mark Aguirre

Mark Aguirre was an instrumental figure in molding the Dallas Mavericks’ franchise into what it is today, as Aguirre helped turn the Mavericks from an expansion team into a perennial playoff team during the 1980s. Aguirre was selected first overall by the Mavericks in the 1981 NBA Draft, as the 6-foot-6 wing was a two-level scoring machine who was a solid rebounder and passer for his position.

Aguirre was selected to three All-Star teams during his tenure in Dallas and he was the Mavericks’ leading scorer for the vast majority of his time with the team as well, as he helped lead the Mavericks to five consecutive playoff appearances from 1984 to 1988. Aguirre ranks third all-time in points for the Mavericks and he even averaged 29.5 points per game in the 1983-84 season, as that season by Aguirre was the second most points scored by a Mavericks player in a single season in franchise history.

Aguirre was quintessential in helping lead the Mavericks to the highest mark that they were able to surmise in 1980s as well by helping lead the team to Game 7 of the 1988 Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, as it's often forgotten that the Mavericks were only one game away from reaching the NBA Finals within the first decade of their existence.

Aguirre was a great teammate in Dallas as well, as he even let fellow teammate Roy Tarpley live with him for a few seasons during his time in Dallas because of some of the mental issues Tarpley was dealing with. However, Aguirre had a falling out with the Mavericks organization and then owner Don Carter in the late 1980s and was subsequently dealt to the Detroit Pistons for Adrian Dantley, as not much is known about why Aguirre and the Mavericks suffered such a huge disconnect.

With ownership having changed twice in Dallas since he retired, Aguirre is certainly deserving of having his number hanging atop the American Airlines Center. Whatever bad terms he left the Mavericks on are well in the past, and it's clear the Mavericks should honor one of their best players in franchise history who helped make the organization make a name for themselves.