Rick Welts Explains Why Mavericks Wanted Chase ‘And Nobody Else’ For Jersey Patch

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks officially announced their new jersey patch partnership with JPMorgan Chase with a press conference Wednesday afternoon at Catbird in the Thompson Hotel. 

The event was headed by team CEO Rick Welts, JPMorgan Chase Chief Control Officer Pauline Saunders and Mavericks big man Dereck Lively II. 

Rick Welts Explains Dallas Mavericks’ History With Chase

Welts led off the conference, noting his already strong connection with Chase. 

“I feel like I have a unique viewpoint here,” Welts said. “I’ve had a front-row seat to watch this company in action before. When I was president of the Golden State Warriors in 2016, we announced Chase as the naming rights partner to our new arena in San Francisco: Chase Center.

“That was three-and-a-half years before we opened,” Welts continued. “I got to see first-hand the kind of execution that Chase does when they make an investment like this.”

Chase has a golden opportunity to build a deeper connection with the City of Dallas, which Welts believes will have benefits for all. 

“I think this deal is something that all of us in Dallas are proud of,” Welts said. “It’s a recognition of the importance of Dallas as a market in this country. I think Chase is one of the many companies who recognized that this is a place of amazing growth and innovation.”

He continued, speaking about Chase’s investment in the NBA and how the league is continuing to grow. Welts went further, specifically highlighting the Mavericks’ future plans. 

“On the business side, I think we’re making great progress toward our new arena, an entertainment district and keeping the Mavericks in Dallas.” 

Welts emphasized those last five words as the audience roared in applause. 

Pauline Saunders Details Chase’s Investment in Dallas

Saunders spoke next, detailing Chase’s side of the deal. 

“The Mavericks are an iconic part of not just the city, but of the state,” Saunders said. “They bring people together through our love of sports and basketball is amazing for that.” 

She emphasized how the community of Dallas and Chase can grow together, forming a collective story. 

“It’s much more than visibility by the way we want to talk about the patch and the jerseys and there’s all of that,” Saunders said. “But there’s also the community for which we all live and work in and the commitment to that. That’s why this partnership is so important to us. 

“For JPMorgan Chase, we have deep roots all across Texas,” Saunders continued. “We have over 30,000 employees and over 490 branches statewide and since 2019, we have contributed over $100 million to communities.”

Once media availability opened, Saunders was asked what drew JPMorgan Chase to the Mavericks. She doubled down on the importance of the community in Dallas.

“It’s not just about the fans. It’s also about where we can provide our customers with value and benefit and bringing those things together,” Saunders said. “But also the fact that, from a strategic partnership perspective, we have shared values. So giving back to the community is big for the Mavs and it’s big for us.”

The question was flipped on Welts, who was asked what drew the Mavericks to Chase above other jersey patch sponsorship opportunities.

“We did have a shortage of suitors because we weren’t interested, honestly, in talking to anyone else other than Chase,” Welts said. “It’s pretty unusual the way this deal came about. From the time we started our discussion with Chase, we knew that this is where we wanted to land.”

As Saunders mentioned, bringing benefits to Chase customers and the City of Dallas was a driving force behind the partnership. Those benefits will extend to Mavericks games, as well.

“We expect through this partnership to have lots of benefits for Chase customers,” Saunders said. “Whether it’s through the American Airlines Center, gameday activities – whether that’s ticket sales, concessions, merchandise from the Mavs Shop – we expect to activate our card members in multiple ways.”

Dereck Lively II Explains What the Deal Means for Players

Before wrapping up, Lively II stepped to the podium to speak about what this partnership means to the team. He mentioned how he’s recently formed a relationship with Chase, investing in real estate this summer in an attempt to diversify his assets. 

“Amazing relationship. Amazing partnership,” Lively II said. “I’m gonna speak on behalf of the players. We’re very, very happy and excited to build a long journey, a long relationship with Chase and hopefully get some good chase-down blocks.”