How many rings do the Dallas Mavericks have? How many times have they been to the NBA Finals?

After winning the Western Conference title this week, the Dallas Mavericks are now preparing for the third NBA Finals in their history.

With star guard Luka Doncic in sparkling form, the Mavericks qualified for the NBA’s championship series by ousting the Timberwolves in the Conference Finals, Thursday’s 124-103 win over Minnesota sealing a 4-1 triumph in the teams’ best-of-seven series. Doncic racked up 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in Game 5; that took his series average to 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists, a tally that led the Slovenian to be named Western Conference Finals MVP.

How many championships have the Mavs won?

The Mavericks’ two previous appearances in the NBA Finals have both seen the Texans take on the Miami Heat, and have yielded one championship ring.

Dallas’ sole Larry O’Brien Trophy so far came in their most recent Finals, in 2011. Led by Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki, who averaged 26 points, 9.6 rebounds and two assists, Rick Carlisle’s team twice came from behind in the series, clinching a 4-2 triumph with back-to-back-to-back wins in Games 4, 5 and 6. Victory was sealed with a 105-95 win in front of their home fans.

At the time, Germany’s Nowitzki was only the second European ever to have received the Finals’ MVP award, after France’s Tony Parker in 2007. Nowitzki and Parker have since been emulated by Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021) and Serbia’s Nikola Jokic (2023).

In the Mavericks’ only other NBA Finals appearance, the series was also settled in six games - but went the way of the Heat, despite Dallas winning Games 1 and 2. Spearheaded by Finals MVP Dwyane Wade, Miami fought back with four victories on the spin to secure the first of their three NBA titles.

How many NBA titles do Dallas’ Finals opponents have?

While the Mavericks are chasing the second NBA championship ring in their history, their 2024 Finals opponents are bidding for a record 18th title. The Boston Celtics are currently tied as the NBA’s most successful team, with the Los Angeles Lakers also on 17 championships as things stand.

The Celtics, who were NBA runners-up two years ago, reached the 2024 Finals by sweeping the Indiana Pacers 4-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

“Boston shoots the three at a high rate - they have a lot of talented players,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said after Dallas’ Conference Finals win over the Timberwolves. “They’ve been there [in the Finals] before, they have the experience, they’re well coached. So this is another great test.”

When are the 2024 NBA Finals?

The Mavericks and the Celtics kick off their NBA Finals clash at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, on Thursday 6 June 2024. Thanks to their superior regular-season record, the Celtics will have home advantage in both Games 1 and 2, and will also have the benefit of hosting Game 7 if the series goes the distance.

How to watch the 2024 NBA Finals

Viewers in the US will be able to watch every game of the NBA Finals on ABC. If you don’t have cable, you have the option of streaming the action on the online platform fuboTV, which offers users who are new to the service a free introductory trial.

Enjoy the Mavericks vs the Celtics on fuboTV.

You’ll also be able to follow live-text commentary of every game in the NBA Finals, right here at AS USA.

2024 NBA Finals: favourites, betting odds

At the time of writing, the bookmakers were backing the Celtics to win their first championship since 2008. According to odds compiled by Oddschecker, Boston were valued at between -230 and -260 for victory over the Mavericks, who were priced at between +190 and +210.