Mark Anthony Aguirre (born December 10, 1959) is an American former
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player in the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA). Aguirre was chosen as the
first overall pick of the
1981 NBA draft by the
Dallas Mavericks after playing three years at
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...
. Aguirre played in the NBA from 1981 until 1994 and won two championships with the
Detroit Pistons after being traded to Detroit from Dallas in exchange for
Adrian Dantley
Adrian Delano Dantley (born February 28, 1955) is an American former professional basketball player and coach who played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dantley is a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA selection an ...
. Aguirre was a three-time
All-Star for Dallas. He was also the 1st Mexican-American basketball player to win an NBA title.
College career
While playing at
DePaul University
DePaul University is a private, Catholic research university in Chicago, Illinois. Founded by the Vincentians in 1898, the university takes its name from the 17th-century French priest Saint Vincent de Paul. In 1998, it became the largest Ca ...
, Aguirre averaged 24.5 points over three seasons with the Blue Demons under coach
Ray Meyer
Raymond Joseph Meyer (December 18, 1913 – March 17, 2006) was an American men's collegiate basketball coach from Chicago, Illinois. He was well known for coaching at DePaul University from 1942 to 1984, compiling a 724–354 record. Meyer ...
. In 1981, Aguirre was ''
The Sporting News
The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...
'' and
Helms Foundation College Player of the Year. He also was the
USBWA College Player of the Year
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the outstanding men's college basketball player by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 195 ...
and
James Naismith Award winner in 1980, and a two-time member of ''The Sporting News'' All-America first team. As a freshman in 1978–1979, he led the Demons to the
Final Four, where they lost to
Indiana State, led by future
Basketball Hall of Famer Larry Bird.
The Chicago native played alongside
Terry Cummings at DePaul, and found himself in the national spotlight during his three years at the university. Aguirre averaged 24.0 points as a freshman in 1978–79, and led the Blue Demons to the
NCAA Final Four. Over the next two seasons he scored 26.8 and 23.0 points per game, respectively, and was named College Player of the Year in 1980–81.
1980 US Olympic Team
Aguirre was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic basketball team but was unable to compete due to the
1980 Summer Olympics boycott. He did however receive one of 461
Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.
Aguirre declared for the NBA draft after his junior year at DePaul. The Dallas Mavericks selected him with the first overall pick in the
1981 NBA draft.
Professional career
Dallas Mavericks (1981–1989)
Aguirre averaged 20 points per game over the course of his 13-year NBA career. He was selected as the first overall pick by the
Dallas Mavericks in the
1981 NBA draft and remained with the Mavericks until 1989. In his first season Aguirre was limited to 51 games and averaged 18.7 points, second on the team to
Jay Vincent
Jay Fletcher Vincent (born June 10, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player.
A 6'7" forward, Vincent played at Michigan State University under coach, Jud Heathcote, where he teamed with Magic Johnson and Greg Kelser to win th ...
(21.4 ppg). The Mavericks improved by 13 games in the win column and finished ahead of the
Utah Jazz, but were still twenty games behind division-leading
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
.
Beginning with the 1982–83 season Aguirre reeled off six straight campaigns in which his average topped 22 points per game. In the first of those seasons he scored 24.4 points per contest, tops on the team and sixth in the league. The Mavericks continued their ascent, bettering their record to 38–44 to finish ahead of Utah and the
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its ho ...
in the Midwest Division. During the 1983–84 NBA season Aguirre averaged 29.5 points per game, second in the league to Dantley's 30.6 ppg. He finished the season with 2,330 total points.
Although Aguirre was the Mavericks' main weapon, he was helped by the emergence of
Rolando Blackman
Rolando Antonio Blackman (born February 26, 1959) is a Panamanian-American former professional basketball player. He was a four-time NBA All-Star who spent most of his career with the Dallas Mavericks.
Blackman was born in Panama City, Panama, ...
(22.4 ppg) and the contributions of role players
Brad Davis and
. Dallas finished second in the Midwest at 43–39, and the team made its first playoff trip, beating the
Seattle SuperSonics in the opening round before losing to the
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
in the conference semifinals. In each of the next two seasons the Mavericks posted identical 44–38 records. In 1984–85 they made a quick exit from the playoffs, bowing to the
Portland Trail Blazers in the first round; in 1985–86 they defeated Utah and then took the Lakers to six games in the conference semifinals. Aguirre averaged 25.7 and 22.6 points for those seasons.
In 1986–87 and 1987–88 he made the All-Star Team and averaged 25.7 and 25.1 points, respectively, during the regular season. The Mavericks won more than 50 games each year. The 1987–88 edition of the franchise went 53–29, beat Houston and the
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
in the first two rounds of the postseason, then extended the Lakers to seven games before losing in the
Western Conference Finals. It was the longest postseason run in the Mavs' eight-year history. Both Mavericks single-season scoring records still stand. His 13,930 points as a Maverick rank third in the franchise's history, behind
Rolando Blackman
Rolando Antonio Blackman (born February 26, 1959) is a Panamanian-American former professional basketball player. He was a four-time NBA All-Star who spent most of his career with the Dallas Mavericks.
Blackman was born in Panama City, Panama, ...
's 16,643 points and
Dirk Nowitzki's 31,560.
While Aguirre's time in Dallas was full of high-scoring efforts and playoff visits, the Mavericks were postseason underachievers (their only Western Conference Finals visit was the 1988 loss to the Lakers), and Aguirre had repeated conflicts with coach
Dick Motta
John Richard Motta (born September 3, 1931) is an American former basketball coach whose career in the National Basketball Association (NBA) spanned 25 years. Motta coached the Washington Bullets to the 1978 NBA Championship, and he won the 1971 ...
and players like Blackman,
Derek Harper and
James Donaldson. Then-team owner
Donald Carter was a huge fan of Aguirre and hoped he would remain in Dallas for his entire career, but eventually conceded that the gulf between Aguirre and the team was unbridgeable. Midway through the 1988–89 season Aguirre was traded to the
Detroit Pistons for Dantley, who was also one of the league's top scorers, and a first round draft pick on February 15, 1989.
Detroit Pistons (1989–1993)
After Aguirre was traded to the team, the Pistons won the NBA title in 1989. Despite not being a lead scoring option like he was in Dallas, Aguirre played a key role in Detroit's championship run, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals against the
Chicago Bulls, where he led the team in scoring with 25 points in a narrow Game 3 loss and averaged 13.7 points and 4.8 rebounds over the rest of the six game series. He showed he could blend into a successful team by taking fewer shots, playing hard on defense, and not complaining when his younger teammate
Dennis Rodman's minutes increased. In the
1990 playoffs, which culminated with Detroit repeating as champions with a five-game
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is a ...
win over Portland, Aguirre averaged 11 points a game.
The following postseason, Aguirre scored his highest postseason total as a Piston, with 34 points in a Game 4 win over the
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. However, in the following round, the Pistons would be defeated by
Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
and the Bulls, bringing their title defense to a close. Aguirre played two more seasons with the Pistons in an increasingly limited role, due to both Rodman's play and his own age and injury issues.
Los Angeles Clippers (1993–1994)
In 1993, the Pistons released Aguirre. After he cleared waivers the
Los Angeles Clippers signed him for $150,000 for a partial campaign in 1993–94. Through the 1993–94 season Aguirre had accumulated 18,458 points for a career average of 20.0 points per game. He retired in 1994.
Personal life
Aguirre is a Mexican American that has been married to Angela Bowman since January 1988. Aguirre, whose father was from Mexico, at one point considered playing for team Mexico at the
1992 Olympics.
Honors
* Aguirre was inducted into the
College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
* Aguirre's #24 was retired by the
DePaul Blue Demons
The DePaul Blue Demons are the athletic teams that represent DePaul University, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and are a member of the Big East Conference.
DePaul’s Athletic Director is DeWayne ...
.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
, align="left" ,
1981–82
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 51 , , 20 , , 28.8 , , .465 , , .352 , , .680 , , 4.9 , , 3.2 , , .7 , , .4 , , 18.7
, -
, align="left" ,
1982–83
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 81 , , 75 , , 34.4 , , .483 , , .211 , , .728 , , 6.3 , , 4.1 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 24.4
, -
, align="left" ,
1983–84
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 79 , , 79 , , 36.7 , , .524 , , .268 , , .749 , , 5.9 , , 4.5 , , 1.0 , , .3 , , 29.5
, -
, align="left" ,
1984–85
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 80 , , 79 , , 33.7 , , .506 , , .318 , , .759 , , 6.0 , , 3.1 , , .8 , , .3 , , 25.7
, -
, align="left" ,
1985–86
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 74 , , 73 , , 33.8 , , .503 , , .286 , , .705 , , 6.0 , , 4.6 , , .8 , , .2 , , 22.6
, -
, align="left" ,
1986–87
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 80 , , 80 , , 33.3 , , .495 , , .353 , , .770 , , 5.3 , , 3.2 , , 1.1 , , .4 , , 25.7
, -
, align="left" ,
1987–88
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 77 , , 77 , , 33.9 , , .475 , , .302 , , .770 , , 5.6 , , 3.6 , , .9 , , .7 , , 25.1
, -
, align="left" ,
1988–89
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 44 , , 44 , , 34.8 , , .450 , , .293 , , .730 , , 5.3 , , 4.3 , , .7 , , .7 , , 21.7
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1988–89†
, align="left" ,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 36 , , 32 , , 29.7 , , .483 , , .293 , , .738 , , 4.2 , , 2.5 , , .4 , , .4 , , 15.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1989–90†
, align="left" ,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 78 , , 40 , , 25.7 , , .488 , , .333 , , .756 , , 3.9 , , 1.9 , , .4 , , .2 , , 14.1
, -
, align="left" ,
1990–91
, align="left" ,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 78 , , 13 , , 25.7 , , .462 , , .308 , , .757 , , 4.8 , , 1.8 , , .6 , , .3 , , 14.2
, -
, align="left" ,
1991–92
, align="left" ,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 75 , , 12 , , 21.1 , , .431 , , .211 , , .687 , , 3.1 , , 1.7 , , .7 , , .1 , , 11.3
, -
, align="left" ,
1992–93
, align="left" ,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 51 , , 15 , , 20.7 , , .443 , , .361 , , .767 , , 3.0 , , 2.1 , , .3 , , .1 , , 9.9
, -
, align="left" ,
1993–94
, align="left" ,
L.A. Clippers
, 39 , , 0 , , 22.0 , , .468 , , .398 , , .694 , , 3.0 , , 2.7 , , .5 , , .2 , , 10.6
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 923 , , 639 , , 30.0 , , .484 , , .312 , , .741 , , 5.0 , , 3.1 , , .7 , , .3 , , 20.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star
, 3 , , 0 , , 14.0 , , .542 , , .400 , , .800 , , 1.3 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , .3 , , 12.0
Playoffs
, -
, align="left" ,
1984
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 10 , , 10 , , 35.0 , , .478 , , .000 , , .772 , , 7.6 , , 3.2 , , .5 , , .5 , , 22.0
, -
, align="left" ,
1985
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 4 , , 4 , , 41.0 , , .494 , , .500 , , .844 , , 7.5 , , 4.0 , , .8 , , .0 , , 29.0
, -
, align="left" ,
1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal en ...
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 10 , , 10 , , 34.5 , , .491 , , .333 , , .363 , , 7.1 , , 5.4 , , .9 , , .0 , , 24.7
, -
, align="left" ,
1987
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 4 , , 4 , , 32.5 , , .500 , , .000 , , .767 , , 6.0 , , 2.0 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , 21.3
, -
, align="left" ,
1988
, align="left" ,
Dallas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, 17 , , 17 , , 21.6 , , .500 , , .382 , , .698 , , 5.9 , , 3.3 , , .8 , , .5 , , 21.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
†
, align="left" ,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 17 , , 17 , , 27.2 , , .489 , , .276 , , .737 , , 4.4 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , .2 , , 12.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1990
File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicis ...
†
, align="left" ,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 20 , , 3 , , 22.0 , , .467 , , .333 , , .750 , , 4.6 , , 1.4 , , .5 , , .2 , , 11.0
, -
, align="left" ,
1991
, align="left" ,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 15 , , 2 , , 26.5 , , .506 , , .364 , , .824 , , 4.1 , , 1.9 , , .8 , , .1 , , 15.6
, -
, align="left" ,
1992
, align="left" ,
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
, 5 , , 0 , , 22.6 , , .333 , , .200 , , .750 , , 1.8 , , 2.4 , , .4 , , .2 , , 9.0
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 102 , , 67 , , 29.0 , , .485 , , .317 , , .743 , , 5.3 , , 2.6 , , .7 , , .2 , , 17.1
References
External links
nba.com historical playerfile* 198
Oscar Robertson TrophyUSBWA College Player of the Year
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to the outstanding men's college basketball player by the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 195 ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aguirre, Mark
1959 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball players
American sportspeople of Mexican descent
Basketball coaches from Illinois
Basketball players from Chicago
Congressional Gold Medal recipients
Dallas Mavericks draft picks
Dallas Mavericks players
DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball players
Detroit Pistons players
George Westinghouse College Prep alumni
Indiana Pacers assistant coaches
Los Angeles Clippers players
McDonald's High School All-Americans
National Basketball Association All-Stars
New York Knicks assistant coaches
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball)
Small forwards
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople