What’s an MFFL? What to know about Mavericks fans as the NBA Finals come to Dallas

The Dallas Mavericks are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have led a spectacular run to get Dallas to the sport’s biggest stage, taking down three higher-seeded teams in the Clippers, Thunder, and Timberwolves to get to this point.

While the Celtics present a massive challenge for the Mavericks — proven by the 2-0 series lead they built in Boston — the American Airlines Center will have incredible energy with the NBA Finals back in Dallas. If you’re joining the bandwagon for the first time since the 2011 championship run, here’s what to know about Mavs fans:

How did calling fans MFFLs start?

If you are a Mavs fan, you are considered an “MFFL,” which stands for “Mavs Fan for Life.” The term originated in the early-to-mid 2000s around the time the Dirk Nowitzki era in Dallas was beginning to gain momentum. Prior to Nowitzki, the Mavericks were a bit of a laughing stock in the NBA and didn’t have a strong following around Dallas.

Mark Cuban popularized the term during his time as the primary owner of the Mavs. It stuck and has become a staple of Mavs fandom. The promotion of the term “MFFLs” is impossible to miss when attending games at the American Airlines Center.

Where did they play before AAC?

Reunion Arena was the home of the Mavs from 1980 to 2001, until the Mavs and Stars both moved to the AAC in 2001. Reunion Arena’s capacity for Mavs games was 18,190, and it was officially demolished in November of 2009.

“Reunion Rowdies” are the original MFFLs. Those are the fans that lived and died with the team from the early 1980s. Back then, the Mavericks games would occasionally be relocated to Moody Coliseum at SMU because other events were being held at Reunion Arena. This even happened during a playoff game against the Seattle SuperSonics. In a much smaller venue like Moody Coliseum, it was significantly louder.

“The tickets were cheap, the beer was cheap, and it was the place to be,” remarked longtime journalist Mike Fisher.

Longtime Mavs owner Mark Cuban was also once a Reunion Rowdy himself, which explains his unique passion for the team he owns.

Who are the ManiAACs, and what else do they have?

The old Reunion Rowdies turned into what we know as MFFLs, but there’s another unique sect of Mavs fans. The Mavs ManiAACs became the first all-male performance squad in the NBA in 2002.

The ManiAACs are usually located around the top of the AAC’s lower bowl, constantly performing during timeouts. They go out and perform on the court with dance routines and eccentric outfits, and have become a true staple and one of the more fun aspects of attending a Mavs game. You can’t go to a Mavs game without seeing a ManiAACs performance.

The Mavericks have also evolved their in-game entertainment aside from the ManiAACs. The “Mavs Hoop Troop” is a co-ed entertainment squad brought in under the guidance of CEO Cynt Marshall in March of 2020.

Who is Guitar Slayer?

Arguably the most entertaining part of attending a NBA game is the showmanship of the starting lineups.

The Mavs’ starting lineup announcements are no different. Amid an incredible highlight montage with incredible music (more on that next), Justin “GuitarSlayer” Lyons adds his own touch to the intro song. Lyons is up on a stage at midcourt amid flashing lights, pyrotechnics, and more. He provides incredible guitar riffs to enhance the Mavs’ longtime intro song, “Eminence Front.”

Lyons is from the Dallas area, specifically in Oak Cliff. The 38-year-old began his career in gospel and later transitioned into blues.

“I’m honored to be able to re-craft [a song] that’s been part of the team’s legacy for 23 years,” he said in an interview. “I’m going to channel all my winning energy into the building and pray it helps them keep winning.”

“Eminence Front”: Mavs’ intro song

Since 2001, The Who’s “Eminence Front” has blared in the AAC as the Mavs introduction song. If you’ve been to a Mavericks game before, you recognize it immediately.

It is a rhythmic mixture of synthesizers, guitar riffs, and drums. The Who’s Pete Townshend is a fan of the song’s usage.

“That’s a wonderful use of the song,” he said.

Matt Fitzgerald, the Mavs’ former marketing chief picked the song when the team moved to the AAC in 2001. He wanted a song without lyrics building towards a crescendo like the Chicago Bulls’ iconic intro song “Eye in the Sky” by the Alan Parsons Project.

“It’s become iconic,” Mark Cuban said. “It isn’t going anywhere.”

What’s the deal with the City Edition uniforms and court?

NBA teams each unveil a new Nike NBA City Edition uniform every year. The Mavericks’ 2023-24 City Edition uniform has become quite popular partly because the team has often worn them during an incredible playoff run, but also because the sleek black uniforms are incredibly popular with the fans.

The new uniform is named “Trinity River Blues” and pays homage to the history of Southern Blues music. The Mavs collaborated with Grammy Award-winning recording artist and North Texas native Leon Bridges in the creation of the uniform.

The font for the “Mavs” on the front of the uniform is a tribute to vintage Texas R&B album covers, according to the Mavericks team website. On the shorts is an outline of the state of Texas with audio waves of the spoken words “Leon Bridges”.

Find more Mavericks coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.