Dirk Nowitzki is soft. He is not a true leader and he doesn't play the type of game that fits his physical stature. The big German Power Forward is nothing more than a glorified jump shooting artist who is unable to dominate enough to win on the biggest stage in basketball. These previous statements seem about as logical and true as when they told us Shaq was only 300 lbs when he went to the Heat in '06. The fact of the matter is Dirk Nowitzki just gave every critic that he has ever had a great big screw you sandwich. Possibly one of the greatest shooters of all-time and a sure fire hall of famer, Dirk iced his legacy by leading the Dallas Mavericks to an improbable NBA title on Monday night against the mighty three-headed monster from Miami.
Now all the talks and discussion in the last 24 hours has centered on Lebron James and his lack of production throughout these finals. It's beginning to feel as though people feel the Heat lost the finals rather than the Mavs won it. If these are people's sentiments, they would be dead wrong. So for that reason, I am only going to focus on the Mavs accomplishments and leave the Heat's shortcoming for another time.
Back to Dirk. His play on the court speaks for itself and needs no embellishment. The cornerstone of the Mavs franchise averaged almost 28 points throughout the playoffs and just over 8 rebounds a game. His clutch shooting down the stretch of games was magical to watch and was epitomized in the series clinching game against Miami. With allegations coming from the Heat players that Dirk's 'sickness' in game 5 may have been somewhat embellished, Nowitzki shot a miserable 1 for 12 from the field in the first half of game 6 yet the Mavs still found themselves up 2 at half. Then the real Dirk showed up. Nowitzki went 8 for 15 in the second half of game 6 and finished with 21 points and 11 boards which, along with Jason Terry's 27 points, clinched the Larry O' Brien trophy for Dallas.
Coming as no surprise to anyone, Nowitzki was awarded the Bill Russell Award as the NBA Finals MVP. The win was even sweeter coming against the aforementioned Miami Heat because of the crushing defeat the Mavs took in 2006 blowing a 2 - 0 series lead in the NBA Finals and losing 4 straight to fall in 6 games to the Heat. You saw the elation in the face of Nowitzki as, unable to control his emotions, Dirk left the court for the locker room immediately after the final horn in order to collect himself. Nowitzki would return shortly after to collect his prize and celebrate the first NBA Championship in Dallas Mavericks history.
This Mavericks team began this season, at least on paper, as an aged group with many critics not giving them much of a chance for a deep playoff run. With the mighty Heat in the East and the Kobe Bryant led Lakers in the West it seemed inevitable that the Black Mamba and King James would meet in the Finals. However, after disposing of the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, one in which many experts (including this one) called the Blazers to upset, the Mavs were pitted against the two-time defending champion Lakers. This is where Dirk and company began to make true believers out of NBA fans and analysts alike. The Mavs embarrassed the Lakers and swept them right out of the playoffs while shooting at a torrid pace. It wasn't the fact that they had won, but how they had won. The 122 - 86 game 4 victory which ultimately sent Kobe and the boys packing turned just about every head in the NBA. These Mavs were for real.
The veteran laden Mavs, with or without the backing of anyone else, believed in themselves and each other. Nothing says this more than Jason Terry's tattoo on his bicep of the Larry O' Brien trophy. The Mavs backup guard got inked up in October at a team building party at teammate DeShawn Stevenson's house. Call it pretentious, pompous, conceited or just downright stupid, but Terry looks like a genius now. He let his play do the talking as well as Terry, coming off the bench for the Mavs, averaged 17.5 points in the playoffs and usually provided the necessary offense when Dirk was resting. His precision shooting and veteran presence were crucial for the Mavs especially in game 6 against the Heat when Dirk was struggling in the first half. Terry took over the first two quarters and dropped 19 points on the Heat to keep the Mavs afloat until Dirk found his groove.
Finally, hats off to one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game. Jason Kidd, whenever he so chooses because Lord knows I am not rushing him, will undoubtedly be a first ballot hall of famer. The Mavs smooth passing floor general won his first championship after tasting defeat twice while with the New Jersey Nets. Kidd showed he is still able to control a game and compete at a high level as he averaged over 7 assists per game and over 9 points. But, maybe even more of a contribution, is the development of JJ Barea that Kidd has no doubt been an integral part of. Barea showed glimpses of being a real impact guard when he was given the minutes as watching Kidd from the bench and learning from one of the greats must be rubbing off.
So, the Dallas Mavericks are NBA Champions. Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd finally have their rings. Jason Terry doesn't need any ink removal. Owner Mark Cuban has officially had his gag order lifted. All I can really say is congratulations to this group. Not quite the underdog story that will go down in basketball history, but a great mish mash that all add up to one of the better feel good stories in NBA history. The mighty Heat will have their day, but that day is not today. Today belongs to that sweet shooting German, the bald floor general, the pretentious and inked up backup guard and the loudmouth owner. Congratulations once again Dallas Mavericks, enjoy the party!
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