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Thursday, April 2, 2009

The Dallas Mavericks Strive to Win an NBA Finals Their Way

No Dallas Mavericks fan will ever forget 2006, when the Mavs reached their first NBA finals. While it was certainly a year for the records, that year was the third in which the Mavs had reached the Conference Finals. In fact, they interestingly ended their regular seasons twice as Division Champions, during two other seasons. Since the 1980-1981 season, the Mavericks have been making NBA history.

How did the Mavericks become the "Mavericks"? A "name the team" contest included 4,600 entries, resulting in three finalists. The losing finalist names included the Express and the Wranglers. Essentially, a maverick is a person who is unconventional and independent.

Prior to the 1980-1981 season, Donald Carter spent $12 million to buy an NBA expansion team, which became the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks focused on landing young players, but the plan backfired when the #1 pick, Kiki Vandeweghe, refused to sign with the Mavericks. Instead, the Mavs traded him to the Denver Nuggets.

The Mavericks won their franchise opening game 103-92, defeating the San Antonio Spurs. Ironically, the Spurs had been the Dallas Chaparrals in the American Basketball Association (ABA). By the end of the season, the Mavs had earned a less-than-impressive 15-67 record. However, the good news was that there was much room for improvement.

The Mavericks continued to improve, and then won their first Division Title during the 1986-1987 season. In fact, they earned an outstanding record of 55-27. They also had the fewest turnovers in the NBA, for the fifth consecutive year! However, the Seattle Supersonics eliminated the Mavs in the first round of the playoffs.

During the following year, the Dallas Mavericks continued to achieve excellence. They finished the season with a 53-29 record, and second place in the Midwest Division. The Mavericks then disposed of the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets. However, afterwards they lost a heartbreaking series in the Western Conference Finals, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games.

Nearly two decades later, the Dallas Mavericks returned to prominence in the NBA. They ended the season with an outstanding 60-22 record, though finished three games behind the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA awarded the Mavs' Avery Johnson with its "Coach of the Year" award. After easily defeating the Memphis Grizzlies, the Mavs EC Comics their nemesis, the Spurs. The Mavericks took a 3-1 series lead, but had to beat the Spurs in Game 7 (and in overtime). The Mavs had less success against Dwyane Wade and the Heat, losing the NBA Finals series, 4-2.

In the following year, the Dallas Mavericks played an incredible regular season, earning a 67-15 record. In the first round of the playoffs, the Mavs faced the Golden State Warriors, who had defeated them three times during the regular season. The Mavericks constantly played catch-up during the series, but eventually lost it 4-2.

Since joining the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks have experienced seasons with ups and down. Cheer on the Mavs with Dallas Mavericks merchandise, as they strive to reach the NBA Finals again, experiencing a different result.

Rick 1955 Topps baseball cards is an avid sports fan. Most of Rick's articles focus on href="booyahvillage.com/nba-dallas-mavericks.html">Dallas mavericks merchandise. Many articles are related to href="booyahvillage.com/nba.html">NBA collectibles and other sports related topics. Rick is a contributing author to BooYah Village

Austin Insurance

Austin cars are a now defunct British 1953 Bowman black and white car manufacturer having first been formed in the early days of motorcar manufacture and coming into existence from 1905 and achieving the status of large car manufacturer with the later Austin motor company merger with the British Morris motor car company in 1952.

Austin motor company was formed by the later knighted Sir Herbert Austin in 1905 Herbert Austin was the then manager of the Wolseley Tool and Motor Company based in Worcestershire.

Early Austin motorcars were of a standard for the day design consisting of a four-cylinder five-litre engine with a chain driven transmission.

Only 200 or so Austin motor cars were built in the early days from 1905 to 1914 but with the advent of World War 1 production was expanded enormously due to government backed orders for all kinds of thins from Aircraft to Artillery.

Shortly after the end of WW1 Herbert Austin went into mass production of one model starting with a design based around a 3620cc engine. The order book was however never enough to fill the capacity of the large Austin factory as it had been built during the war and Austin faced an uncertain time eventually falling into receivership in 1921. However the company was saved and restructured and went on to become a much stronger and more successful motor car manufacturer a lot of Austin's success during in this period has been attributed to the appointment of Ernest Payton as the new finance director. And Carl Engelbach as works director.

Austin Motorcar Company expanded their range to include small and more economical cars for a growing market and branched out into America with the formation of the US based subsidiary American Austin Car Company. Austin as well as all companies had to weather the storm that was the great depression but by the end of the 1930s sales were growing especially with the introduction of the very successful Austin seven models and its spin offs.

Austin continued to make cars throughout World War 2 but branched out into making military vehicles and trucks for the war effort.

By the early 1960s Austin had decided on creating a range of small economical cars to cater for the growing car market but by the start of the 1970s Austin along with many other British carmakers had been part nationalised and run under the banner of British Leyland. By the end of the seventies Austin along with British Leyland were in trouble however Austin regained some ground by the design and manufacture of the innovative Austin Metro again by the late 1980s Austin had merged with Rover to create Austin Rover but it wasn't long before Austin was removed leaving only Rover as the makers name.

Many people will remember with affection Austin motorcars and there are still many whom collect and restore for these people it is essential to find the best. rel="nofollow" href="comparecarinsuranceuk.com/Car-Insurance/Austin-Insurance/Austin-Insurance.html">Austin insurance

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