Remembering 3J....JAMAL, JIMMY, and JASON....the BIG 3 in BIG D that was eventually going to take the MAVS to the Promised Land.....it never happened.

The DALLAS MAVERICKS NBA Basketball Club was owned initially by DONALD CARTER and the MAVERICKS were the NBA Expansion Team that started in 1980 at then Beautiful REUNION ARENA in DALLAS TEXAS.

Like most expansion teams starting you have to get your feet and there are a lot of BUMPS in the ROAD sot of speak. THE MAVS got going with the likes of Rolando BLACKMAN aka RO (Kansas STATE), Sam PERKINS aka the BIG SMOOTH (UNC), Derek HARPER aka HARP(ILLINOIS), James DONALDSON (Washington STATE), Detlef SCHREMPF (Washington), and Mark AGUIRRE (DePAUL).

Those teams battled the SHOWTIME LAKERS for Supremacy in the WEST in the Middle to late 1980's and reached the Western Finals a couple of times. Then the MAVS hit a DEAD SPOT for a while until their fortune seem to be turning in the right direction.

Enter the 1992 NBA Draft the MAVERICKS were need of a SHOT in the BACKSIDE and they selected at #4 from THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY and AP ALL-AMERICAN and BIG 10 PLAYER of the YEAR G Jimmy JACKSON of Toledo MACOMBER-WHITNEY HS. And after long drawn out contract negotiations the MAVS had their man.

The FOLLOWING Season in 1993 the MAVS needed another piece an they selected the Man who helped Rick PITINO put KENTUCKY BASKETBALL back on the MAP.....the MONSTER MASH.....Jamal MASHBURN of Bronx NY CARDINAL HAYES HS. MASH was the #4 pick also in the 1993 draft. And for once the MAVS had 2 scoring machines at the 2 and 3 and they look like they were maybe a piece or two away from doing real damage in the WEST.

Then in the 1994 Season the MAVS had no choice but to take 1 of the 2 best Players in the DRAFT. The PISTONS lucked out and were picking #1 and they chose DUKE ALL-AMERICAN All WORLD Point FORWARD Grant HILL of Reston VA SOUTH LAKES HS. That left the MAVS with some SCRAPS at the #2 Pick.....NOT AT ALL. The MAVS select Cal BERKELEY All-American and the CHOSEN ONE out of EAST BAY Jason KIDD after 2 years at CAL. KIDD was much ballyhooed like the 2 before him at Alameda CA ST JOSEPH NOTER DAME HS.

NOTE: JACKSON was recruited by Randy AYERS at OHIO STATE who was last an assistant with the Detroit PISTONS. MASH was recruited by Rick PITINO at UK after RICK inherited Coach Eddie SUTTON'S Mess at UK now COACH P is the LOUISVILLE. And J-KIDD was recruited by Lou CAMPANELLI and Todd BOZEMAN at CAL and COACH Bozeman is at MORGAN ST University in MARYLAND. Coach Campanelli is retired in the STATE of California.

The MAVS were looking real good all of a sudden and the DALLAS COWBOYS were not the only game in town. The Only problem was with the MAVS was the STABILITY at the top of the Organization. Donald CARTER didn't run a very tight ship and it cost them dearly as those Problems upstairs trickled down to the FLOOR and the Locker Room.

Led by the very disciplined Coach in InDIANA UNIVERSITY Bloomington and Chicago Area High School DOLTON ILL THORNRIDGE HS......the MAVS and there new 3J as thy called them didn't take to well to that approach.

Just look at the talent the MAVS had at the Point, the 2 , and at Small Forward. J-KIDD is 6-4 210, JACKSON was a sculpted 6-6 225, and MONSTER MASH was 6-8 240 and they all could handle, get you off the dribble, MASH was the best shooter, and KIDD and JACKSON saw the Floor better than anyone and their hopes were dashed with BAD MANAGEMENT.

Now you see hat happens with Pro Teams when you think the players are the PROBLEMS......its WORSE when the Problems are above you and with the Guy cutting your check.

For around 2 years the MAVS were one of the most exciting teams in the LEAGUE and their HOPES of turning into the BEST in the WEST were self inflicted. Now you ask the question .......Who were 3J playing with?......Does it matter......just them 3 alone could get you to the LA FORUM to play against the SHOWTIME LAKERS PRE SHAQ and KOBE.

Where are they now.......J-KIDD is still playing and low and behold Got HIMSELF a CHIP this past season with Guess WHO?...the DALLAS MAVERICKS.....that's what you call a CAREER coming FULL CIRCLE. KIDD is undoubtedly a 1st Ballot NBA HOF and the best of the BIG 3.

JACKSON was working at the BIG TEN Network as their lead BASKETBALL analyst which is headquartered in the CHI CITY AREA.

MONSTER MASH ha a few Business Ventures and is heavily involved in the LEXINGTON KY Community. MASH owns numerous Outback STEAKHOUSES and PAPA JOHN'S Pizza Franchises and well as a couple of Car Dealerships.

LOOKING BACK.....what could've been.....the MAVERICKS were the 2010-11 NBA Champions and their 1ST CHIP......but with 3J....they could've had that chip a long time ago......REAL TALK

EXAMPLE 1......It' not ROCKET SCIENCE if you think you ca be unstable at the Top of a Professional Organization and think that everything Downstairs will be OK.......THREE J is a prime example of that. If DALLAS' Front office were smarter everything would have materialized into a WINNER on both levels.

BLUEDUDE SPORTSTALK salutes one of the BEST NBA Trio's EVER....that never was.......JIMMY, JAMAL, & JASON..the BIG 3 in BIG D