The 1981 NBA Draft brought three players who would become vital parts of the team. The Mavs selected 6'6" forward Mark Aguirre with the first pick, 6'6" guard Rolando Blackman 9th, and 6'7" forward Jay Vincent 24th. By the end of his seven-year Mavs career, Aguirre would average 24.6 points per game. Blackman contributed 19.2 points per game over his 11-year career in Dallas. But it was Jay Vincent who made the biggest difference for the Mavs in their second season, leading the team in scoring with 21.4 points per game and earning NBA All-Rookie Team honors. The Mavericks improved to 28-54, getting out of the Midwest Division cellar as they finished above the Utah Jazz.

In 1983-84, Mark Aguirre was named the team's first NBA All-Star. He finished the season with an average of 29.5 points per game--second in the league to Utah's Adrian Dantley.

The Mavericks surprised everyone when they selected Chinese basketball player Wang Zhizhi with the 36th pick of the 1999 NBA draft. Wang's Chinese team initially refused to let him go, but after a two-year negotiation, Wang eventually arrived in Dallas and became the first Chinese player to play in the National Basketball Association.

In the Mavericks' debut game, which took place in the brand-new Reunion Arena, the Mavs defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 103-92.

At 7 ft 6.36 in (2.30 m) tall, Shawn Bradley was one of the tallest players in NBA history.