Dallas Mavericks defeated Miami Heats

By Julian Linden | Reuters – Mon, Jun 13, 2011

(Reuters) - Factbox on the Dallas Mavericks, who beat the favoured Miami Heat on Sunday for their first NBA championship.

* The Mavericks were admitted to the NBA in 1980. Dallas had previously played host to the Chaparrals in the now-defunct American Basketball Association but they moved to San Antonio in 1973 and became the San Antonio Spurs.

* The Mavericks were initially placed in the Western Conference's Midwest Division and failed to make the playoffs in each of their first three seasons.

* They made the playoffs six times in seven seasons from 1984 and won their first divisional title in 1987, but went through a lean streak in the 1990s, failing to reach the playoffs for an entire decade.

* Boosted by the signings of Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash, they ended their long drought and returned to the playoffs in 2001. They have made them every year since.

* In 2004-05, they moved to the newly created Southeast Division and enjoyed even greater success after Avery Johnson took over as head coach.

* In 2006, Dallas won the Western Conference for the first time but lost the NBA Championship final to Miami Heat 4-2 after leading 2-0.

* The Mavericks won the divisional title the next season and again in 2010 before winning a second Western Conference championship this season.

* Rick Carlisle, who won an NBA Championship in 1986 as a player for the Boston Celtics, took over as head coach in 2008.

* During the 2010-11 regular season, the Mavericks finished third in their conference with 57 wins and 25 losses.

* They beat the Portland Trail Blazers 4-2 in the first round of playoffs, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 in the semi-finals and the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 in the Conference final.

* Owned by Mark Cuban, who purchased the team in 2000.

(Compiled by Julian Linden; Editing by Frank Pingue)