Mavs Greats Michael Finley, Shawn Marion are Basketball Hall of Fame Finalists

DALLAS - Two foundational pieces of two important Dallas Mavericks eras family have been named as nominees eligible to be inducted into the prestigious Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Both Shawn Marion and Michael Finley were under-appreciated during their playing careers ... and just their inclusion among the 50 nominees is a great step in rectifying that.

“I’m so excited for both of them,” owner Mark Cuban said via Mavs.com. “There aren’t enough superlatives to say how excited I am for both. Just to be in the conversation is amazing.''

"Amazing'' for Shawn Marion, who played at a high level for the entirety of his long NBA career (1999-2015) but never was given enough acclaim as a defensive stopper, a self-invented long-range shooter and a player who re-created himself over and over due to his team's needs.

Marion - "The Matrix'' - was a critical member of the Mavs' 2011 NBA title. Marion totaled 17,700 points and 10,101 rebounds in his career and finished with averages of 15.2 points and 8.7 rebounds in 1,163 games. In December 2014, Marion became the first player in NBA history with 15,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 1,000 blocked shots and 500 made 3-pointers.

And again, what the numbers cannot show is how at 6-7, could shut down opponents at any position.

“I’m in a class full of giants,” said Marion, aware that this class also features Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Chris Bosh, Chris Webber, Chauncey Billups and Ben Wallace. “I guess when you look at it from my side and from what I was able to do, I guess I played like a giant.”

To the Mavs, Finley is also a giant. He played from 1995-2010, including a decade with the Mavs during which he teamed with Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash to form a "Big 3'' that would drive Dallas from the depths o the NBA toward the heights.

Finley, who played in the 2000 and 2001 All-Star Games, in his career scored 17,306 points and grabbed 4,804 rebounds, finishing with averages of 15.8 points and 4.4 rebounds in 1,103 games.

“It’s a great honor,” Finley said. “That I was drafted 21 (in the 1995 NBA Draft), to even be nominated is a great honor.”

Said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle: “Shawn Marion is one of the really unique players ever in the history of the game, and he was a major factor in our championship run in 2011. .. And Finley was a great player for the Mavericks.

“Those guys are both deserving to be on the ballot. It’s a great honor for them.”

The Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2020 finalists will be announced on Feb. 14 in Chicago during All-Star Weekend, and those finalists will be enshrined into the Hall in September.