Motta Returns as Maverick Coach : Pro basketball: Dallas’ original mentor hopes to return NBA’s worst team to respectability.

Dick Motta, the original coach of the Dallas Mavericks, returned to the job Tuesday, hoping to restore respectability to himself and the NBA’s worst team.

The Mavericks chose Motta, 62, as the successor to Quinn Buckner, who was fired two weeks ago after a 13-69 record in his only season.

Motta said he took the job with no illusions and with a stark understanding of the Mavericks’ condition.

“I know what needs to be done and I’m confident this is the right decision,” he said. “I looked at this team, and I wanted to coach. There aren’t many people who get a second chance to do something they probably should have done better the first time.”

Owner Don Carter also elevated scouting director Keith Grant to director of player personnel. Grant will assume duties previously held by Rick Sund, whom Carter fired last month as vice president and director of basketball operations.

In a record 22 seasons as an NBA head coach, Motta won 856 regular-season games, losing 863. He led the Washington Bullets to the NBA title in 1978.

Motta coached the Mavericks in their inaugural 1980 season, leading an assortment of no-name castoffs to a 15-67 record.

But behind first-round draft picks Mark Aguirre and Rolando Blackman, the Mavericks improved to 28-54 in 1981-82 and 38-44 in 1982-83 before the club went over the .500 mark for the first time at 43-39 in 1983-84.

The Mavericks went 55-27 in Motta’s last season, 1986-87, winning the Midwest Division for the first time. But the playoffs were a bitter disappointment, as Dallas was eliminated in the first round, losing to Seattle in four games.

After that season, Motta abruptly quit without explanation. His record with the Mavericks was 267-307.

John MacLeod succeeded Motta and led the Mavericks to a 53-29 record. Dallas advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time, losing to the Lakers in seven games after ousting Houston and Denver in the first two rounds.