Professional
Basketball in Texas
Big-time professional basketball arrived
in Texas in 1967 with the formation of the
American Basketball Association, which
placed franchises in Dallas and Houston.
By 1973, the Dallas Chaparrals had
moved to San Antonio to become the Spurs,
who were absorbed into the National Basketball Association in 1976.
The ABA Houston Mavericks played
two years before moving to North Carolina
to become the Cougars.
The San Antonio Spurs have gone on to
the NBA finals six times, winning the national championship five times.
RIGHT, San Antonio Spurs’ Tim Duncan (21),
teammates David Robinson (50), Mario Elie,
lower right, Antonio Daniels, right rear, Sean
Elliott (32), Avery Johnson and Mario Elie
celebrate after defeating the New York Knicks
78-77 in Game 5 to clinch the 1999 NBA finals
at New York’s Madison Square Garden. File
photo.
Dallas Chaparrals (ABA)
Year
1967-68
1968-69
1969-70
1970-71
1971-72
1972-73
Win
Loss
41
37
46
45
%
Playoffs
32
.590
lost ABA semifinals to New Orleans Buccaneers 4-1
39
.536
lost first round to Los Angeles Stars 4-2
.526
lost first round to New Orleans Buccaneers 4-3
changed name to Texas Chaparrals, playing some games in Fort Worth and Lubbock
30
54
.357
lost first round to Utah Stars 4-0
42
42
.500
lost first round to Utah Stars 4-0
changed name back to Dallas Chaparrals
28
56
.333
franchise relocated to San Antonio, beginning play in 1973 as the Spurs
San Antonio Spurs (ABA-NBA)
Year
1973-74
1974-75
1975-76
Win
Loss
51
33
45
50
%
Playoffs
39
.536
lost first round to Indiana Pacers 4-3
34
.595
lost first round to New York Nets 4-3
.607
lost first round to Indiana Pacers 4-2
merged into NBA
1976-77
44
38
.537
lost first round to Boston Celtics 2-0
1978-79
48
34
.585
lost conference finals to Washington 4-3
1977-78
1979-80
1980-81
1981-82
1982-83
1983-84
1984-85
1985-86
1986-87
1987-88
1988-89
1989-90
52
41
52
48
53
37
41
35
28
31
21
56
30
41
30
34
29
45
41
47
54
51
61
26
.634
.500
.634
.585
.646
.451
.500
.427
.341
lost semifinals to Washington Bullets 4-2
lost first round to Houston Rockets 4-2
lost conference semifinals to Houston 4-2
lost conference finals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
lost conference finals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
lost first round to Denver Nuggets 3-2
lost first round to Los Angeles Lakers 3-0
.378
lost first round to Los Angeles Lakers 3-0
.683
lost conference semifinals to Portland Trailblazers 4-3
.256
Year
1990-91
1991-92
1992-93
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
Win
Loss
47
35
55
49
55
62
59
20
56
37
53
58
58
60
57
59
63
58
56
54
50
61
50
58
62
55
67
%
Playoffs
27
.671
lost first round to Golden State Warriors 3-1
33
.598
lost conference semifinals to Phoenix Suns 4-2
27
20
23
62
26
13
29
24
24
22
25
23
19
24
26
28
32
21
16
24
20
27
15
.573
.671
.756
.720
.244
lost conference semifinals to Phoenix Suns 3-0
lost first round to Utah Jazz 3-1
lost conference finals to Houston Rockets 4-2
lost conference semifinals to Utah Jazz 4-2
.683
lost conference semifinals to Utah Jazz 4-1
.646
lost first round to Phoenix Suns 3-1
.740
.707
.707
.732
.695
.720
.768
.707
.683
.659
.610
.744
.758
.707
.756
.671
.817
won NBA finals over New York Knicks 4-1
lost conference finals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
lost conference semifinals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
won NBA finals over New Jersey Nets 4-2
lost conference semifinals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
won NBA finals over Detroit Pistons 4-3
lost conference semifinals to Dallas Mavericks 4-3
won NBA finals over Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0
lost conference finals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
lost first round to Dallas Mavericks 4-1
lost conference semifinals to Phoenix Suns 4-0
lost first round to Memphis Grizzlies 4-2
lost conference finals to Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2
lost NBA finals to Miami Heat 4-3
won NBA Finals over Miami Heat 4-1
lost first round to Los Angeles Clippers 4-3
lost conference semifinals to Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2
Houston Mavericks (ABA)
Year
1967-68
1968-69
Win
Loss
23
55
29
49
%
.372
Playoffs
.295
1969-70 - team moved to North Carolina to become the Cougars
Houston Rockets
(NBA)
The National Basketball Association first came to Texas in 1971
when the Rockets franchise moved
from San Diego.
The San Diego Rockets franchise had been an expansion team
in 1967 when they entered the
NBA along with the Seattle SuperSonics. The Rockets name derived
from the San Diego slogan, “A
City in Motion.”
The Houston Rockets have
been in the NBA finals four times,
winning the national championship
twice, in 1994 and 1995.
Since 2003, the team has
played in the Toyota Center in
downtown Houston, following
several years at The Summit.
Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon and New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing in the NBA finals in 1994. File photo.
Year
Win
Loss
%
Playoffs
- 1971 Rockets team relocates to Houston from San Diego
1971-72
34
48
.415
1972-73
33
49
.402
1973-74
32
50
.390
1974-75
41
41
.500
lost conference semifinals to Philadelphia 76ers 4-1
Year
1975-76
1976-77
1977-78
1978-79
1979-80
1980-81
1981-82
1982-83
1983-84
1984-85
1985-86
1986-87
1987-88
1988-89
1989-90
1990-91
1991-92
1992-93
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
Win
40
49
28
47
41
40
46
14
29
48
51
42
46
45
41
52
42
55
58
47
48
57
41
31
34
45
28
43
45
51
34
52
55
53
42
43
34
45
54
56
41
Loss
42
33
54
35
41
42
36
68
53
34
31
40
36
37
41
30
40
27
24
35
34
25
41
19
48
37
54
39
37
31
48
30
27
29
40
39
32
27
28
26
41
%
.488
.598
.341
.573
.500
.488
.561
.171
.354
.585
.622
.512
.561
.549
.500
.634
.512
.671
.707
.573
.585
.695
.500
.620
.415
.550
.341
.524
.550
.622
.415
.634
.671
.646
.512
.524
.515
.549
.659
.683
.500
Playoffs
lost conference finals to Philadelphia 76ers 4-2
lost first round to Atlanta Hawks 2-0
lost conference semifinals to Boston Celtics 4-0
lost NBA finals to Boston Celtics 4-2
lost first round to Seattle SuperSonics 2-1
lost first round to Utah Jazz 3-2
lost NBA finals to Boston Celtics 4-2
lost conference semifinals to Seattle SuperSonics 4-2
lost first round to Dallas Mavericks 3-1
lost first round to Seattle SuperSonics 3-1
lost first round to Los Angeles Lakers 3-0
lost first round to Los Angeles Lakers 3-0
lost conference semifinals to Seattle SuperSonics 4-3
won NBA finals over New York Knicks 4-3
won NBA finals over Orlando Magic 4-0
lost conference semifinals to Seattle SuperSonics 4-0
lost conference finals to Utah Jazz 4-2
lost first round to Utah Jazz 3-2
lost first round to Los Angeles Lakers 3-1
lost first round to Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
lost first round to Dallas Mavericks 4-3
lost first round to Utah Jazz 4-3
lost first round to Utah Jazz 4-2
lost conference semifinals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
lost first round to Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2
lost first round to Portland Trail Blazers 4-2
lost conference finals to Golden State Warriors 4-1
lost first round to Golden State Warriors 4-1
The Toyota Center in Houston. Robert Plocheck photo.
Dallas fans celebrate at the American Airlines Center before Game 1 of the NBA finals in 2006. File photo.
Dallas Mavericks (NBA)
In 1980, the NBA awarded an expanison franchise
to Dallas and millionaire Don Carter, who named the
team the Mavericks.
After the 1995-96 sesaon, Carter sold the team to
Year
1980-81
1981-82
1982-83
1983-84
1984-85
1985-86
1986-87
1987-88
1988-89
1989-90
1990-91
1991-92
1992-93
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99
1999-00
2000-01
2001-02
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05
2005-06
2006-07
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2011-12
2012-13
2013-14
2014-15
2015-16
Win
15
23
38
43
44
44
55
53
38
47
28
22
11
13
36
26
24
20
14
40
53
57
60
52
58
60
67
51
50
55
57
36
41
49
50
42
Loss
67
54
44
39
38
38
27
29
44
35
54
60
71
69
46
56
58
62
36
42
29
25
22
30
24
22
15
31
32
27
25
30
41
33
32
40
%
.183
.341
.463
.524
.537
.537
.671
.646
.463
.573
.341
.268
.134
.159
.439
.317
.293
.244
.280
.488
.646
.695
.732
.634
.707
.732
.817
.622
.610
.671
.695
.545
.500
.598
.610
.512
a group of investors led by Ross Perot Jr. In January
2000, the Perot group sold the Mavericks to internet
entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who became one of the
best-known professional team owners in sports.
Playoffs
lost conference semifinals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
lost first round to Portland Trailblazers 3-1
lost conference semifinals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
lost first round to Seattle SuperSonics 3-1
lost conference finals to Los Angeles Lakers 4-3
lost first round to Portland Trailblazers 3-0
lost conference semifinals to San Antonio Spurs 4-1
lost conference semifinals to Sacramento Kings 4-1
lost conference finals to San Antonio Spurs 4-2
lost first round to Sacramento Kings 4-1
lost conference semifinals to Phoenix Suns 4-2
lost NBA finals to Miami Heat 4-2
lost first round to Golden State Warriors 4-2
lost first round to New Orleans Hornets 4-1
lost conference semifinals to Denver Nuggets 4-1
lost first round to San Antonio Spurs 2-4
won NBA finals over Miami Heat 4-3
lost first round to Oklahoma City Thunder 4-0
lost first round to San Antonio Spurs 4-3
lost first round to Houston Rockets 4-1
lost first round to Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1