The speeches concluded. The American Airlines Center crowd gave the final speaker and Sunday's night's honoree, Derek Harper, a standing ovation, leaving one final piece of unfinished business.
Harper, his grown children and 4-year-old granddaughter Savannah were asked to pull a rope, unveiling a banner bearing jersey No. 12, to be hoisted into the AAC rafters.
"Whoo!" said Harper, perhaps in equal parts glee and relief.
Harper thus joined Brad Davis and Rolando Blackman as the only players in the Mavericks franchise's 38-year history to have their jerseys retired, during halftime of Sunday night's game between the Mavericks and another of Harper's former teams, the Knicks.