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The Dallas Mavericks held a special event during halftime against the visiting New York Knicks. The Mavs honored one of their all-time greats, Derek Harper, by hanging his no. 12 in the American Airlines Center rafters.
Harper, known to be hard-nosed combo guard during his 16-year NBA career, played 12 seasons for the Mavericks (1983-1994, 1996-1997). He also stands as the franchise’s leader in assists (5,111) and steals (1,551), so yes, one can easily argue that the celebration has been long overdue.
Nevertheless, he will rightfully join former teammates Rolando Blackman and Brad Davis, who wore 22 and 15, respectively, as the only Mavs players to have their jerseys retired by the team.
Despite all the anticipation, though, Derek Harper himself admits that he’s trying his best not think of the big night. Marc Stein of The New York Times shared the Mavs legend's sentiments on Twitter.
The great Derek Harper on Sunday's looming jersey retirement at halftime of Knicks at Mavs: "I've tried to downplay it like it's not a big deal. But the more you look up at the rafters at different places when I travel around doing the broadcasts, you realize it is a big deal."
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) January 5, 2018
Although Derek Harper also played for three other NBA teams – the New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, and Los Angeles Lakers – there’s no denying that he’s a Mavs lifer through and through. He’s been a part of the Mavs’ broadcasting team for a couple of seasons now, and has also covered Dallas sports for the past 12-plus years.
The current Mavs are struggling mightily and could use some inspiration, so Sunday’s ceremony should be perfect. Maybe seeing Derek Harper’s highlights and witnessing the love and respect showered by fans and members of the organization could ignite the whole team's spirit. Team owner Marc Cuban and head coach Rick Carlisle should be hoping it does, especially for their next games.
