L-R: Mavs owner Mark Cuban, guard Travis Best, Mavs President of Basketball Operations Donnie Nelson and Forrest King (Best's agent) Dawn Holgate/dallasmavericks.com

DALLAS (August 22, 2003) - The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent point guard Travis Best. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Click here to read press conference transcript

"Travis is the perfect fit for us and we're lucky he was still available," said President of Basketball Operations and assistant coach Donn Nelson. "He has great leadership skills and is a proven winner with NBA Finals experience. He has the versatility to play both half court and full court styles of basketball and his quickness gives us some added defensive punch off the bench."

Best (5-11, 185) appeared in 72 games for the Miami Heat last season making a career-high 52 starts. He averaged 8.4 points, 3.5 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 25.1 minutes per game. Over his 8-year NBA career, Best has played in 571 games with averages of 8.2 points, 3.8 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 22.6 minutes per game. He is also a career 82.9% free throw shooter. In 59 playoff games, he has averaged 7.0 points, 2.8 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game.

Best spent all four seasons of college at Georgia Tech and was a three-time All-ACC selection. He finished his collegiate career as one of two players in ACC history (along with former North Carolina and NBA guard Phil Ford) to record more than 2,000 points and 600 assists in a career.

The Indiana Pacers selected Best with the 23rd pick in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft. He played his first six and a half seasons with Indiana prior to being traded to the Chicago Bulls on 2/19/02. Best was a member of the Pacers during their run to the 2000 NBA Finals which they ultimately lost to the Los Angeles Lakers. He signed as a free agent with the Heat last summer.

Best enjoyed his best professional season in 2000-01 with the Pacers. That season, he played in 77 games with career-high averages of 11.9 points, 6.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.43 steals.

Off the court, Best had a role in Spike Lee's 1998 film "He Got Game," which starred Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington and fellow NBA player Ray Allen.