The NBA is incredibly popular in China, so it's a must for the league's teams to establish a brand that will resonate with the still growing and basketball-crazy market.

For the Dallas Mavericks, however, the first step to do that and build a deeper connection with their fans in the country is to have a better Chinese translation of their name.

In a video announcement on Twitter, Mavs' owner Mark Cuban revealed they will be changing their official Chinese name after years of hearing that what they are called in China is incorrect.

Dallas is called ‘Xiaoniu' in China, but that translates to “Little Cow” which Cuban said “has nothing to do with the Mavericks.” As a result, they decided to make the move of finding a more suitable translation.

According to Cuban:

“For the next two weeks, we'll be working with Tencent to interview translation experts, basketball legends, and fans to find the best new name for the Mavericks in China.”

The Shark Tank star also asked their followers to give their suggestions and said they'll select their favourites and let fans vote to decide which name to use.

This decision to change their name might be long overdue for Dallas, though it is still a smart move for the team, especially now that NBA coverage in China is growing faster than ever following the league's five-year partnership with Shenzhen-based internet giant Tencent back in 2015.

Not to mention that the league is also spreading its presence in the Asian country, with Kobe Bryant even planning to establish China's first NBA basketball school.