DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri said Friday that a successful first season will be measured by bringing joy back to basketball in Dallas, and that winning is the only way to get there. Ujiri opened the team’s media day at American Airlines Center, the day before training camp opens.
Dallas hired Ujiri on May 4. He spent 13 seasons with the Toronto Raptors, including their 2019 championship, before Toronto fired him in June 2025. The Mavericks went 39-43 in 2024-25 and 26-56 last season, missing the playoffs both years after reaching the 2024 NBA Finals.
Ujiri opened by thanking the city for welcoming his family and his new staff. He acknowledged that changes are hard, and he described a new energy around the team, the coaching staff, and the city’s basketball scene this summer.
“We are trying to bring joy back to basketball in this city with this team, and with Dusty, the coaching staff,” Ujiri said. “They’ve been nothing but very engaging, participated with players, and all the engagements that we’ve had all summer. Players have been around in the city, workouts, camps that they’ve done, and places we’ve visited. I can’t say enough of this. We’ve won every single game in the summer, but now the real stuff starts.”
“Young players, veteran players, new players, players that were here before,” Ujiri continued. “There’s a vibe and an energy that we are all feeling, and we hope this can translate to good basketball, winning, the right attitude, and what we want to do is show a lot of respect for the game, how the game is played, played with joy, and win. Sports, basketball, it’s all about winning, and we want to win in Dallas, and we will win in Dallas.”
Masai Ujiri On What Success Looks Like
Ujiri tied his definition of success to the same idea he opened the day with. Winning is part of it, he noted, but joy is the measure.
“What I qualify as a successful season is bringing joy back to basketball in this city,” Ujiri explained. “Yeah, that would be success for us. And I know that’s going to take winning. Yeah, but if we can bring joy back to basketball in this city, it’s a huge success for us.”
Ujiri also acknowledged a difficult summer for information. He said the front office has tried to share what it can while respecting the players and the business, and he credited the organization for how it has treated his group.
“I know sometimes it’s been a tough ride in the summer, but we’re trying our best to give as much information as we can, as we go, being respectful to the business, to the players, to the organization, and this organization has been nothing but first class,” Ujiri said.
Dallas made 17 basketball operations moves Thursday, and the Mavericks finalized May’s coaching staff last week. Ujiri explained that the roster was built around what May wants to play, with size, length, offensive rebounding, shooting, and passing at the center of it.
“We like those big, long players that are going to attack the basket, offensive rebound,” Ujiri said. “We like shooters. It’s where the game is going. I think Coach Dusty will tell you when he comes to speak here, passing becomes very important for us, playing with each other, and the winning mentality. We want these players to have a winning mentality, and you try to get these players that have that to fight in games, because it is a lot of games you play, and it changes every day.”
Masai Ujiri On The Trip To Macao
Dallas opens the preseason against the Houston Rockets at The Venetian Arena in Macao on Oct. 9 and Oct. 11. Ujiri credited team governor Patrick Dumont and ownership for the trip, and he described it as a chance to bring the team together away from home.
“The experience, I think, credit to Patrick and ownership, the experience of going out there and being in a place that actually we can say belongs to us,” Ujiri said. “If I’m allowed to say that, belongs to all of us, that’s going to be truly special in my mind.”
The trip is about more than basketball, Ujiri noted, pointing to the cultures and people the players will meet. He tied that to his own background and to the different places the players have come from.
“So, camaraderie, bringing the team together, and the journey there, the journey back, the time spent there, the cultures you are learning there, you learn about other people,” Ujiri added. “These are things and education that has carved a lot of our lives, and a lot of these players, being on whether it’s different teams or where they’ve been before or their families. So, this is our lives, and it’s the education of the world now. It’s knowing people and being part of this journey. So, when you combine all of that, I think it’s going to be a truly unique experience for us, both on and off the court.”
The regular season opens Oct. 21 at Houston, with tip-off at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Mavericks’ home opener is Oct. 24 against the San Antonio Spurs at American Airlines Center.
