DALLAS -- Every time Kevin Willis pulls on his No. 45 jersey, he's guilty of a little false advertising. He's only 44.

The oldest player in the NBA, and proud of it, Willis wanted to wear his age on his back when he joined the Dallas Mavericks a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, one of his new teammates already had it.

Willis could've claimed seniority. He could've flashed the menacing glare that worked so well over his previous 20 NBA seasons. If that didn't scare Austin Croshere into giving up No. 44, Willis could've offered to arm-wrestle for it. A challenge like that would've announced his arrival in the locker room, plus given Willis a chance to show how strong he still is.

Instead, he smiled and took the next best thing.

That simple story illustrates many of the reasons the 7-footer was given the chance to tag along for the ride with the Mavericks this postseason: experience, an understanding of his place in the team hierarchy and the fact he still has a hulk of a body that's the envy of players half his age, making him capable of providing some quality minutes every now and then.

"I'm about making the team better," Willis said. "That's my main goal. ... I'm here to go out and encourage guys, root guys on to go out there and play hard."

The Mavericks open the playoffs against Golden State tomorrow night. With the Warriors likely to use a small lineup, don't expect to see Willis much this round. He's willing to wait.

Willis broke into the league in 1984, the same year two of his Dallas teammates were born. His best years were spent alongside Dominique Wilkins on the Atlanta Hawks, then he became a big man on the move: Miami, Golden State, Houston, Toronto, Denver and back to Houston before landing in San Antonio, where finally won a championship at age 40 as David Robinson's backup.

After another year with the Spurs, then a return to Atlanta, Willis was done. He was out of the NBA all of last season and most of this one.

"The door was closed," he said. "I didn't close it. Somebody closed it. But I knew it wasn't locked."

Always known for his physique, Willis remained in shape by watching his diet and working out, shooting sometimes but rarely playing pickup games. He was mostly busy running Willis & Walker, a maker of upscale denim jeans for the big-and-tall crowd that he and a friend began in 1988.

That job led Willis to Las Vegas in February for a fashion industry convention. When it ended, the NBA All-Star weekend was about to start, so he stuck around a little longer. He literally bumped into Mavericks owner Mark Cuban going into a hotel soon after. In early April, Willis was slipping into his new jersey, regaining the title of league's oldest player from Dikembe Mutombo.

As quaint as that story is, Dallas president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson insists Willis already was on the club's radar.

The Mavericks had been holding open a roster spot since the trade deadline, looking for just the right complementary player. Scottie Pippen and Reggie Miller were the chic names thrown out.

But what Dallas needed most was a third center. Not just a deep reserve, but someone who could bang against Erick Dampier and DeSagana Diop in practice, who would be OK with limited playing time yet be capable of holding his own during the few minutes he did get and someone who wouldn't ruin the club's great chemistry. As a bonus, they were hoping for someone who knew how -- and, especially, when -- to provide veteran wisdom.