The Dallas Mavericks introduced Dusty May on Monday afternoon. The new Mavericks head coach is coming off a National Championship with the Michigan Wolverines. May began his portion of the press conference by sharing why he left Ann Arbor for Dallas.
The Mavericks’ opening happened by accident, and May detailed exactly how the whole thing went down from the beginning.
It all started in Chicago, Illinois, when he ran into the President of the Dallas Mavericks and their Alternate Governor, Masai Ujiri, along with the Mavericks' general manager, Mike Schmitz. The Trio did not speak about the Mavericks coaching gig at first. Their conversation focused around three Michigan players: Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg, and Aday Mara. Dallas brass was looking for some insight for the upcoming draft. These three players were potential lottery picks at the time.
“It was very difficult to leave the situation we were in, but it was also very simple because it was the Mavericks and because of the people I get to work with every single day,” May said.
Later during his press conference, May made it clear that it was a match made in heaven from there. He would also rattle off his check-the-box list of why it was a great decision to come to Dallas.
"We had a great conversation that had nothing to do with this position & whenever we were talking about our [Michigan] guys, it was [asked] if I would have any interest in this job. My eyes went up & instantly, I said, 'This one checks all the boxes.’”
A couple of factors had to do with Cooper Flagg being the focal point in the Dallas Mavericks on offense and defense.
“A superstar who plays hard, cares about his teammates and is incredibly unselfish, those things aren’t that common, according to people around the league,” May said.
He also pointed to having veterans such as PJ Washington and the Championship background that both Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving bring to the Table.
“P.J. has done it at a high level,” May said. “Kyrie obviously has won a championship. Klay Thompson has won championships.”
As for the Mavericks drafting Morez Johnson Jr. with the ninth pick in the 2026 NBA draft last week, Dusty May had no idea that was the direction Masai Ujiri and the rest of the Mavericks front office was heading with their pick.
“I had no idea we were drafting Rez. Masai texted me right when we decided to make the selection and I didn’t even see the message…I was just happy that we got one of the three (Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara, or Yaxel Lendeborg).”
The Golden State Warriors selected Yaxel Lendeborg with the 11th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and the Oklahoma City Thunder picked Aday Mara with the 12th overall pick.
Michigan also made history by having three players selected in the first round for the first time in 36 years, according to mgoblue.com. It is also the first time in School history that three lottery picks were selected in the same draft.
May also praised Masai Ujiri during his presser, saying he is one of those guys in sports where you just have to say one name, such as Kobe, Michael, Steph, Shaq, Magic, Larry, and LeBron. There are others you can name, such as Wilt, Kareem, and Giannis.
“Masai is one of those people in sports where you only have to say one name, like Coop is going to be, or LeBron,” May said. “Anytime you report to someone whose first name immediately commands respect, that’s special.”
May was later asked whether he had spoken with future Hall of Famer Kyrie Irving, and he confirmed they had spoken last week.
“Yes, I spoke to Kyrie last week,” May said. “How do you earn his trust? By being yourself and working like crazy for him every single day.”
He also shared that he would be leaning on the veteran point guard this season and called him one of the best in NBA history.
“Kyrie knows what it takes to win a championship, so as a first-time NBA coach, I’m going to lean on him in a lot of areas,” May said. “Someone as intelligent as he is is going to bring a lot to the table for all of us.”
“He’s one of the greatest point guards to ever play our game,” May said. “He’s a jazz musician, and I can’t wait to be around him every day and help him on his journey.”
