By Alex Trickett BBC Sport Online

Times are changing in the NBA.

Ten years ago, there were few non-American players plying their trade in the world's premier basketball league.

Today, foreign stars can be seen swooping to the hoop across the USA, adding to the game's appeal around the world.

The Dallas Mavericks, who have just completed their most successful season in franchise history, are leading the global revolution.

Nowitzki: An all-star presence

On any given night, they can field players born in Germany, South Africa, Mexico and China.

The cream of that crop includes NBA all-stars Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, who between them lead the Mavericks in all major, statistical categories.

Nowitzki, a versatile seven-footer from Wurzburg, Germany, was the league's eighth-highest scorer during the regular season, averaging 23.4 points.

Switching between centre and power forward positions, he is handy on the boards, but can also sink game-breaking three pointers from the arc.

Nash, a South African-born Canadian, makes Dallas tick from the backcourt.

When it matters most, he invariably calls the shots, feeding team-mates at the right time or taking tough shots himself.

The Don: Nelson is highly regarded coach

Nowitzki and Nash are backed up by Eduardo Najera - a sharp-shooting small forward from Mexico - and by two giant centres, the German-born Shawn Bradley and Chinese youngster Zhizhi Wang.

The impact of this foreign cast has been massive, but the transformation of Dallas from a team that won 25% of their NBA games in 1997/8 to one that had a 70% success rate this term is home-grown as well.

American swingman Michael Finley is a tried-and-tested source of points, assists and rebounds, while hot prospect Raef LaFrentz, Nick van Exel and the seasoned Avery Johnson add much-needed depth.

And then there is Don Nelson.

One of the most respected coaches in the game, Nelson was in charge of Milwaukee, Golden State and New York before moving to Dallas in 1997.