DALLAS - For whatever behind-the-scenes machinations that occurred in recent days to result in the Dallas Mavs poaching head coach Dusty May from the University of Michigan, this much is true ...
It was a whirlwind courtship ... and one that May seems to still be processing.
“Yeah, a lot has happened,” May said during Tuesday's 2026 NBA Draft, literally hours after his hiring was made official. “But I have to pinch myself when I think about being a part of this organization at this time.
"I couldn’t be more excited.”
Part of the excitement here is based on the centerpiece player, Cooper Flagg. And it seems that Dallas intends to hold onto veteran star guard Kyrie Irving as well.
“Obviously, you have a young superstar in Cooper Flagg, who is about all the right stuff, one of the best point guards in the history of the game in Kyrie Irving, and a supporting cast of really quality players and quality people,” May said. “I can’t wait to get there and be part of the group.”
Additionally, now May has added one of his Michigan stars, Morez Johnson Jr., to the fold, as the Wolverines power forward was taken in the No. 9 slot by Dallas.
May, 48, also praised Dallas new "leadership team'' featuring the recently-hired team president Masai Ujiri, talked about his path into coaching, and sent a message to MFFL's about what to expect from their Mavs.
“I played one year of Division II basketball and decided the best way for me to become a coach was to go work for a legendary coach like Bob Knight,” May said of his work as a student manager at Indiana. “That experience led me into college coaching. ...
“From there, I bounced around the country learning at every step and trying to find different experiences to grow,” May said. “Recently, we’ve had a lot of success, and that led to this opportunity.”
And what is the new coach's message to fans - many of whom remain unhappy about some aspects of the direction of the franchise following last year's trade of Luka Doncic to the Lakers?
“I’m most excited about walking onto the court with our team,” May said. “I think our fans are going to be proud of how hard they play, how well they play together, and just proud of what we have working and building in this current climate. ...
“I think they’re going to be excited to watch our team play. We’re going to play an exciting brand of basketball,” May said. “We’re going to be well-connected, and it’s going to be fun. It’s going to be a great year.”
