NBA
Dallas Mavericks Cement Status as Mexico’s Team
Antonio is a life long sports enthusiast and professional journalist, who shares an obssesive urge to find and dig up the most interesting facts to guide gamblers towards more exciting, yet safe bets. In his own words, ''you can never really know enough about the things you love''.
All posts by Antonio KozlowUpdated18 minutes ago on November 06, 2025
A Home Game 935 Miles Away
The Dallas Mavericks may play in Texas, but Mexico City felt like home last weekend. In front of 20,385 passionate fans at Arena CDMX, the Mavs faced the Detroit Pistons in the NBA’s 34th Mexico Game. Though Dallas lost 113–101, the energy inside the arena never dipped. Every basket from Klay Thompson or D’Angelo Russell drew roars. Fans chanted for Cooper Flagg and cheered every Maverick as if they were locals.
The game was a spectacle beyond basketball. Oaxacan alebrijes decorated the court. Mariachi bands played between quarters. Colorful catrinas danced at center court for Día de los Muertos. It was more than a regular-season matchup—it was a cultural celebration that felt like a homecoming for Dallas.
Decades of Connection
No NBA team has played in Mexico more than the Mavericks, with eight total appearances dating back to 1992. Their first matchup came in a preseason game against the Houston Rockets, marking the start of a unique relationship between the franchise and Mexico’s growing basketball fanbase. Even during losing seasons, the Mavs gained visibility among Spanish-speaking fans both abroad and in Dallas, a city with one of the largest Mexican communities in the U.S.
That bond deepened in 2000 when the Mavericks traded for Chihuahua-born forward Eduardo Nájera. He became just the second Mexican-born player to reach the NBA and the first to be drafted. “He’s the reason so many Mexicans love the Mavericks,” said Gabriel Mendez, a fan from Mexico City wearing a Dirk Nowitzki jersey.
Legacy Beyond the Court
Nájera’s presence made the Mavericks Mexico’s adopted team. “The Mavs and Mexico will always have a special bond thanks to Nájera,” said Rodrigo García Rojas, host of the Dropping Dimes podcast. His influence turned every Mavericks appearance in Mexico—especially their 2003 exhibition game—into a national event.
Since then, Dallas has kept the connection alive. Luka Dončić’s 2019 performance in Mexico included the first triple-double in NBA Mexico history. The team also helped renovate public courts in Monterrey and supported the G League’s Mexico City Capitanes.
As fans flooded Arena CDMX shouting “¡Vamos, Mavs!”, one thing became clear: until Mexico City has its own NBA franchise, the Dallas Mavericks are—and will remain—Mexico’s team.
