Former Mavericks head coach John MacLeod passes away

Photo by Stephen Dunn /Getty ImagesFormer Dallas Mavericks head coach John MacLeod, who led the franchise to its first ever Western Conference Finals appearance, passed away Sunday. He was 81-years-old.

For 18 seasons, MacLeod was a head coach in the NBA. He spent 14 seasons with the Phoenix Suns before being hired by the Mavericks.

MacLeod coached Dallas from 1987 to 1989. In that time, he amassed a record of 96-79. His lasting legacy with the team is leading the Mavericks to within one game of the NBA Finals in 1988.

That season, Dallas advanced to the Western Conference Finals to face the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks made things interesting before finally succumbing to the eventual…