An emotional and uplifting jersey retirement at the AAC saw the Mavericks celebrate their first-ever No. 1 pick with a cast of legends and loved ones.
DALLAS — Four decades after helping put the franchise on the NBA map, Mark Aguirre took his place among Mavericks royalty as Dallas retired his No. 24 jersey at the American Airlines Center on Thursday night.
It was an emotional evening and ceremony that, to many longtime Mavs fans, was long overdue.
Aguirre took center stage for an extended halftime during the Mavs home game versus the Charlotte Hornets, as his former teammates and fellow Mavs legends gathered to honor the career of the franchise’s first No. 1 overall pick.
“There are no easy escapes in this game,” Aguirre said before the game. “What you put in is what you get out. And I put it all in. All in. 100%. If I’m playing against you, I wanna destroy you. And you gotta have that kind of mindset going into it.”
Among those who spoke at the ceremony was Aguirre’s childhood friend and former teammate Isiah Thomas.
“Never even dreamed that we would have a life like we’ve led,” Thomas told WFAA. “The memories just start pouring out and you just remember, basically, how poor you were. And to have a night like this is just, it’s unthinkable. It really is unthinkable.
Aguirre and Thomas grew up on the West Side of Chicago, before going #1 and #2 in the 1981 NBA Draft. Their paths would cross again nearly a decade later.
Drafted by the Mavs, Aguirre became the face of the young franchise. Over nearly eight seasons with the Mavs, including three NBA All-Star nods, Aguirre averaged 25 points per game — a mark bested only by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
But tensions mounted over the latter part of his tenure with the Mavs, culminating with Aguirre getting traded to the Pistons in February 1989 for Adrian Dantley.
It would be a blessing for Aguirre’s NBA legacy as he united with Thomas in Detroit and proceeded to win back-to-back NBA Championships.
“I wanna thank the Mavericks organization, the city of Dallas, because if Mark Aguirre doesn’t come to the Detroit Pistons, we never win a championship,” Thomas asserted. “That’s how good he was. So, thank you, Dallas. Thank you, Mavericks.”
Aguirre was moved to tears during his press conference when asked about Thomas’ lifelong friendship, which caused Thomas to tear up and walk to the stage to comfort Aguirre.
The NBA greats cried more tears of joy and gratitude as Aguirre’s #24 banner was revealed to the crowd in Dallas.
There they hang — Brad Davis, Rolando Blackman, Derek Harper, Dirk Nowitzki and now, Mark Aguirre.