For the Dallas Mavericks franchise, the second-most notable part of NBA Draft night on June 25 was the poignant scene that unfolded before 5,000 fans in American Airlines Center.
Minutes before drafting Cooper Flagg, the Mavericks publicly welcomed back long-absent Mark Aguirre, the only previous No. 1 overall pick in team history. Cheers engulfed Aguirre, who broke into tears and barely could speak.
Four months later it’s clear that night was more than symbolic. It was a precursor to Monday’s news that Aguirre will become the fifth Maverick to have his jersey retired.
Aguirre, 65, was privately given the news by Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont before Dallas’ season opener at home last Wednesday. Aguirre told The Dallas Morning News roughly 15 people, mostly family and friends, were present in the AAC hospitality room.
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“It just took me over,” Aguirre said. “For him to say that to me, that was the actual moment. That made it concrete.”
Days later, throughout an exclusive phone interview with The News, Aguirre still was emotional, sobbing multiple times, unable to finish sentences.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “After so long, it’s still a little shocking to me. It still hasn’t sunk in.”
Fortunately there’s ample time for mental processing before Aguirre’s jersey retirement ceremony itself, on Jan. 29 when the Mavericks host Charlotte.
A banner with Aguirre’s jersey No. 24 will be hoisted into the AAC rafters, joining those of his 1980s teammates Brad Davis (No. 15), Rolando Blackman (22) and Derek Harper (12).
And of course joining the banner of the greatest Maverick, Dirk Nowitzki, whose jersey No. 41 was the most recently retired by the franchise: On Jan. 5, 2022.
This will be the first jersey retirement of Dumont’s governorship, which began in December of 2023. This season the Mavericks will have multiple events commemorating the franchise’s 1980 founding and ensuing history.
“As we look back on 45 years of this franchise, it is a great honor to recognize one of our legends,” Dumont said. “Mark’s legacy as a foundational player is defined by excellence, determination and commitment.
“We are proud to pay tribute to his profound impact on this organization by retiring his jersey and immortalizing his legacy as one of the Mavericks’ greats.”
From 1981 to 1989, Aguirre certainly forged legendary numbers, ranking third in Mavericks history in points (13,930 points), scoring average (24.6) and 30-point games (160). He earned three All-Star berths and was the linchpin of Dallas’ first Western Conference finals run in 1988.
But Aguirre’s unceremonious Feb. 15, 1989 trade to Detroit and scarceness since his 1994 retirement has made him the Mavericks’ most enigmatic great.
Although he works as an associate athletic director at his alma mater DePaul in his hometown of Chicago, Aguirre has maintained a home in the Dallas area. It was during his third season as a Maverick that he married Angela, and Dallas is where they raised their five daughters, now aged between 26 to 35.
“They went through it all,” Aguirre said, his voice again cracking. “There’s just so many things that go through your head. ‘Daddy, how come your jersey isn’t retired?’ ”
Through the years he’s been invited to Mavericks celebrations, including Harper’s jersey retirement on Jan. 7, 2018, but he didn’t come, apparently because he still felt like an outsider. Blackman and Harper have long lobbied for his jersey to be retired.
A breakthrough occurred this past summer, when the Mavericks invited Aguirre to be part of the draft night celebration in American Airlines Center. The program included Aguirre being interviewed by Mark Followill, Jeff Wade and Ted Emrich, and when Aguirre climbed onto the makeshift stage, the fan response moved him.
“This is home, man,” he told the crowd. “I’ve been fortunate to do a lot of things, but when my plane lands here in Dallas, there’s not another feeling I can get other than, ‘I’m home.’
“Thank you so much. It seemed like I was just separated from Dallas, and didn’t know how I could get back.”
Later, speaking with a small group of reporters, Aguirre seemed in disbelief that the still relatively new Mavericks regime invited him.
“These people don’t even know me,” he said.
They do now. A few days after the draft, Aguirre was among Mavericks alumni who attended Flagg’s introductory news conference to Dallas.
If he didn’t feel welcome before, he certainly does now.
That 1989 trade to the Pistons enabled Aguirre to join close friend and fellow Chicagoan Isiah Thomas and to win NBA championships in 1989 and 1990.
He’d been the offensive focal point throughout his career, including at DePaul, which he led to the 1979 Final Four as a freshman and where he was Naismith Player of the Year as a sophomore. But in Detroit he was a role player, averaging 12.9 points in five seasons.
He was named to the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016, certainly a high honor.
“It’s comparable, but the Mavericks hall of fame is so much larger when you think about it, how it spreads across the Dallas metroplex,” Aguirre said.
“Everybody knows you once you’ve been a Maverick. It’s just like once you’ve been a Cowboy.”
Aguirre was asked whether returning to the Mavericks for this summer’s draft night, and now the news of getting his jersey retired brings needed closure for him, his NBA legacy finally coming full circle.
“Well, I think it opens it up really, to the fact that I am a Maverick,” he said. “Yes, I went to Detroit and it was a good stay, but I’m a Maverick. You know?”
He kept repeating the words, as if he still couldn’t believe it.
“I’m a Maverick. I am.”
Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.