They had to wait 5 years to get back to the Finals.  It was well worth the wait.  The Dallas Mavericks were prepared and wanted it more than the Miami Heat.  Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry were with Dallas back in 2006 when they were beaten by the Miami Heat.  Not that this was a re-match of any sorts, but either way it feels so good to Dirk and Jason to finally get that ring.

Say what you want about Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, believe me I have.  He was going to win a championship at some point. What he has done with one of the worst franchises in basketball to get them to be a consistent contender year in and year out.  The culture in that city has gone from being all about the Dallas Cowboys to we finally have a basketball team to proud of.

Cuban made some drastic changes after the 2006 Finals defeat. Avery Johnson was let go as the head coach after numerous disappointments in the playoffs.  Rick Carlisle had the same trouble the last two years in the playoffs.  The big difference this time around is they had a motivated Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry determined to not let history repeat itself.  

Jason Kidd had seen the Finals in back-to-back seasons with the New Jersey Nets.  Tyson Chandler wasn’t going to let this opportunity slip through.  Shawn Marion had seen many playoff runs end prematurely with the Phoenix Suns.  J.J. Barea wasn’t going to let up at this point of the season after his impressive play against the Lakers and Thunder.

It was a consistent team effort that brought the Mavericks to victory during Game 2 when they were down by 15 with 7 minutes to go. Together they held off the Miami Heat during Game 4.  As a team they came back to beat the Heat to win Game 5 and take their first series lead.  There was no doubting the Mavericks as Dirk had an off night, but the rest of the team picked up their game on the way to victory in Game 6.

History might see this year’s Finals as the one the Miami Heat should have won if not for the disappearing act of a certain player. But that is a discussion for another day.  For now what we should take from this is that after 2006 we all thought Dirk Nowitzki would never get another chance.  He was labeled soft and didn’t have any post moves to speak of for a guy his size.  He shook both and any other negative labels after this year’s performance in the playoffs.  

Dirk Nowitzki is considered one of the most unique players of all-time.  A seven footer who can hit three pointers at will and is nearly unguardable in the post.  He changed his game.  It worked. He has his ring and the Dallas Mavericks can celebrate their first NBA championship.