Five of the best All Star moments in Dallas Maverick history

Since the Dallas Mavericks entered the NBA, the team has had just 10 players become an All-Star while wearing a Mavericks jersey. Mark Aguirre was the first Mavs All-Star, Dirk Nowitzki got the most All-Star selections with 14, Jason Kidd was the first Maverick player to start an All Star game and Luka is now the youngest Maverick player to start an All Star game. With such fun players creating electrifying moments, I’m here to decide the top 5 All Star moments in Dallas Mavericks history!

5. Michael Finley Cartwheel Dunk in the Finals of the 1997 Dunk Contest!

Look, I’m sorry #MFFL but this moment was very legendary! (Editor’s note: not all legends are the good kind. Alas.)

In 1997, swingman Michael Finley made the finals of the dunk contest. What he decided to do as his finale dunk is something that is still talked about till this day.

For the first dunk of the final round, Finley tried to show the world he was Simone Biles before we knew Simone Biles existed. He decided to pull out an interesting looking cartwheel before missing a two hand slam that gave him a generous score of 33. With the way the crowd loved it, I always wondered what would have happened if he would have actually stuck the landing.

Eventually, the 19 year-old Kobe Bryant ended up winning the contest and the cartwheel was so devastating that the Dunk Contest didn’t even happen any more in the 1990’s decade.

4. Luka Magic in the 2020 All-Star Weekend

It’s no secret that the 2019-2020 NBA Season was Luka Doncic’s rise to global superstar status.

The 2019 Rookie of the Year became the sixth youngest starter ever in an all star game when he was chosen to start at guard for ‘Team LeBron’ as a 20 year-old.

During the weekend, he also headlined the Rising Stars game as a starter for ‘Team World’. He scored 16 points including hitting an amazing half court shot to end the first half in the face of his same draft rival Trae Young which created the best GIF of the weekend.

Before the Rising Star Game, Luka also became the first white guy to ever get “The Dap and Hug Combo” from President Obama. If you were ever questioning if Luka Legend was the GOAT, that was your confirmation.

3. Dirk Nowitzki Winning the 3 Point Contest in Houston in 2006!

2006 was destined to be the Mavs Year in every way *sighs* (thanks Ed Rush).

The Mavericks won 60 games in the regular season, Avery Johnson was coach of the year, we made the Finals and Dirk Nowitzki became the only Mavs player ever to win an award at All-Star weekend by winning the 3-point contest in Houston!

After finishing second and third respectfully in the Three-point contest in 2000 and 2001, Dirk was back to see if that saying “Third time’s a Charm” would work for him.

Though he make it to the final round by LUCK and a millisecond (literally), Dirk started off blazing hot making 8 out of his first 10 shots to finish with 18 points. That 18 was enough to beat Gilbert Arenas and Ray Allen in the final round, making history by becoming the first and only 7 footer to win the contest.

2. Ronaldo Blackman 1987 All-Star Game Performance.

Simply put it “Confidence baby, Confidence”

A year after the city of Dallas just had its first All-Star weekend and one of the most memorable in history, the 1987 weekend topped it and it was led by one of the most competitive All-Star games in history! The East was up by 2 with 3 seconds left in the game. Lakers’ coach Pat Riley drew up a play for Dallas Maverick Ronaldo Blackman to send the game to OT. Blackman got the ball and immediately blew by Celtics’ Larry Bird until he got met at the cup by Pistons’ Isiah Thomas who fouled him with no time left on the clock.

With Dr. J and Isiah talking smack, Ro knocked down the biggest two free throws in All-Star game history to send the game to Overtime and eventually become the main reason the West ended up winning the game 154-149. The highlight of the game was after knocking down the two free throws was screaming “Confidence baby, Confidence” to follow up his 29 point performance which is the most by a Maverick ever.

1. Dirk Nowitzki being named a Special Roster Addition to the 2019 All-Star game

In 2019 we saw the greatest Dallas Maverick in history take his last hoorah around the league. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver named Dirk Nowitzki and Dwayne Wade as special team roster additions to the Charlotte All-Star game and it was a feel good moment in a season full of them.

At the time, Dirk hadn’t publicly announced his retirement but the league decided to give Dirk his 14th All-Star selection anyways. “As a global celebration of basketball, our All-Star Game is an ideal setting to salute these first-class NBA champions and Finals MVPs,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

Dirk definitely took advantage of the moment and made one of the most memorable All Star moments of the past decade. Dirk entered the game with under a minute left in the first quarter and within seconds hit a deep 30 footer that had the Charlotte crowd buzzing. Almost immediately, he hit another deep 3 that would make the crowd go crazy and put a smile so big on Dirk’s face that made the entire building give him a standing ovation and was the perfect last all-star game moment and perhaps the best moment in Dallas Mavericks history.