Former Mavs owner Don Carter dies at 84

DALLAS

Don Carter, the owner who was instrumental in bringing the NBA to Dallas with the expansion Mavericks in 1980, has died. He was 84.

The Dallas County medical examiner said he died Wednesday night. The cause was not disclosed.

Carter co-founded the franchise with Norm Sonju, the club’s first president. Carter sold majority interest to Ross Perot Jr. in 1996 but kept a minority stake.

The Mavericks were a model franchise in the early days, quickly becoming a contender and reaching the Western Conference finals in 1988 before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.

When Dallas won the franchise’s only championship in 2011, owner Mark Cuban invited Carter to celebrate with the team on the court in Miami. Commissioner David Stern handed the trophy to Carter, who was wearing his trademark white cowboy hat that was part of the team’s early logo.