Dallas Mavericks Mount Rushmore

OTG Basketball presents, NBA Mount Rushmore, where we look at who belongs on the Mount Rushmore of each team in the league. Up next, is the Dallas Mavericks.

Dirk Nowitzki, F

Without a doubt, the first face on the Dallas Mavericks Mount Rushmore is Dirk Nowitzki. He leads the franchise in nearly every statistical category there is. Most impressively is the 31,560 points scored over his 1,522 games as a Mav. He lead the team to 11 straight 50+ win seasons and their lone championship. He even has a streeted named after him in Dallas. There have been talks about what Luka Doncic would have to do to surpass Dirk as the greatest Maverick of all time, and in my humble opinion, that's a goal that will never be achievable. Not only is he the greatest Dallas Maverick of all-time, he is the Dallas Mavericks.

Jason Terry, G

When you get the Larry O'Brien championship trophy tattooed on your arm before the season begins, and then you actually win the championship, you'll forever be enshrined on a team's Mount Rushmore. Jason Terry may not have the numbers that other players do in the franchise, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a player (other than Nowitzki, of course) who captured the hearts of fans more than he did. If Dirk was the head of the operation, in many ways Terry was the heart of it. Terry embraced a new role in Dallas after a few seasons where he took being the 6th man not as an insult, but as a badge of honor. He wore it well too.

Derek Harper, G

There's a handful of players that could fit in spots three and four. Harper started his career with the Mavericks and spent 12 seasons, and 872 games, with the team. Even after his professional playing days were over, Harp has stayed in Dallas calling games for the team. Like Terry, there are other players who numbers may be more impressive. However, Harp has become beloved among the fanbase and continues to make his presence felt. He leads the franchise in total assists and steals, and comes in fourth in total points scored. In many ways, for Mavs fans, it's felt like we've grown up with Harper our entire lives.

Rolando Blackman, G

The final spots goes to Rolando Blackman. Blackman may not be a household name to the casual NBA viewer, but for the fans of the Dallas Mavericks, Blackman was one of the teams first stars. What helps Blackman here too is the amount of games he put in for the team (Sorry Michael Finley, but 865 is better than 626), and for staying in good standing (looking at you Mark Aguirre). He's also second all-time on the Mavericks scoring list, and he'll sit their comfortably for a few seasons. That is, until Doncic logs a few more seasons with the team.

Looking for space on the mountain:

Michael Finley, G/F & Luka Doncic, G

Michael Finley brought an excitement to the Dallas Mavericks at a time they desperately needed. The team was trying to rebound from the Three J's and Finley brought a consistency and steadiness to a team that was all over the place. He's currently with the Mavericks in a front-office role too, so his time with the team has been far from over. If Mount Rushmore had five presidents, then Finley is the next man up. And truth be told, it was basically a coin-flip for Blackman over Finley, ultimately Blackman's longevity during his playing days won out.

If Luka Doncic remains a Maverick for the majority of his career, then he's pushing out Blackman for a spot here. As of now, as great as he's been, it's just too soon. However, can you believe that with only 126 games under his belt he's already 23rd all-time on the Mavs scoring list? He's 12th all-time in 3-pointers made and 13th all-time in assists. That's just silly.