The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are a member of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Mavericks were founded in 1980 and joined the NBA in 1981.   

The Mavericks are known for their high-scoring offense and have featured several All-Star players throughout their history, including Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, and Luka Dončić. Nowitzki, a German power forward, is the most iconic player in Mavericks history and led the team to their first NBA championship in 2011. Dončić, a Slovenian point guard, is considered one of the best young players in the NBA and is seen as the future of the Mavericks franchise.   

The Mavericks play their home games at the American Airlines Center, which opened in 2001. They are owned by Mark Cuban, a billionaire businessman who bought the team in 2000.